Mich. Deputy Killed in Line of Duty While Investigating Stolen Vehicle: 'It Was an Ambush'

A Michigan sheriff’s deputy was killed while tracking down a stolen vehicle when the alleged car thieves stopped the vehicle while being chased and opened fire on him, authorities said.

“It was an ambush,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said at a press conference on Sunday, June 23, about the shooting death of deputy Bradley Reckling, 30.

The tragedy began to unfold on Saturday, when a 2022 Chevy Equinox was reported stolen from the Red Oaks Waterpark in Oakland County, Bouchard said at the press conference, which was reviewed by PEOPLE.

Reckling, a nine-year veteran of the force, and two other deputies from the auto theft unit began searching for the car in Detroit, he said.

Reckling was in an unmarked car when he located the stolen vehicle and was driving behind it, Bouchard said.

“The car suddenly stopped,” he said. 

Occupants of the vehicle got out “and opened fire on our deputy,” he said, adding, "It was an ambush."

Reckling was struck in the head, chest and torso area, Bouchard said.

Detroit Police and Michigan State Police flooded the area and set up a hard perimeter, taking the three suspects quickly into custody, he said.

The information Bouchard shared is “preliminary,” he said, noting that since Reckling was in an unmarked car, it did not have a camera.

He was rushed to a local hospital where he died the next day.

Besides seeking justice in this case, the department’s focus is how to support Reckling’s family.

He leaves behind his wife of eight years, Jacqueline Reckling, and three young daughters, 6, 4, and 1, “with another child on the way,” he said.

“Our mission is to be there for them,” he said.

Besides praying for the family, Bouchard said the department has an organization called Mission Oakland, if anyone wants to donate to the family.

Jacqueline’s uncle set up a GoFundMe to help support her and her four children.

“Brad was passionate about his family and was an avid outdoorsman,” her uncle wrote in the GoFundMe. “He never hesitated to lend a helping hand to family and friends."

The couple had just started refinishing their house in expectation of their fourth child when he was killed, he noted. 

“Brad loved working with the Oakland County Sheriff's Department and often spoke of the incredible work all police officers and first responders do every day." the GoFundMe added.

Authorities have not released the names of the suspects, who have not yet been charged.

Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case. Tips can be made anonymously online or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up. Anonymous tips are still eligible for the reward.