Leroy Township standoff: a man fired on deputies and shot down two drones before fire engulfed the home, sheriff says; he is dead

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — A 35-year-old Leroy Township man is dead after he fired on Calhoun County deputies and Battle Creek police from inside a home Monday evening and the house went up in flames, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office said.

The sheriff’s office identified the man as Travis Baker, according to WWMT, FOX 17 and WKZO. Neighbors were told to shelter in place during the standoff on Running Deer Ridge in Leroy Township, south of Battle Creek. The order was later lifted, and the sheriff’s office said there is no ongoing threat to nearby residents.

Why deputies were there. Around 5:30 p.m., deputies went to the home to serve a search warrant and a probation violation warrant, the sheriff’s office said in a release. The warrants stemmed from a domestic situation the day before involving Baker and his parents, who told deputies they were worried about his behavior and that he had firearms while on probation, FOX 17 and WWMT reported.

What happened. As the county’s Special Response Team sent in a drone and tried to enter, shots were fired from inside the home, the sheriff’s office said. “Numerous rounds were fired toward responding law enforcement personnel, striking specialized response vehicles belonging to both the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office and Battle Creek Police Department,” the release said, according to FOX 17. Two sheriff’s office drones were shot down.

A Battle Creek police officer fired from inside a specialized response vehicle, the sheriff’s office said. A fire then “rapidly engulfed” the house, keeping officers from immediately confirming whether Baker was alive. He was later confirmed dead. The sheriff’s office has not said how he died, WKZO reported.

Who responded. The multi-agency Special Response Team includes officers from departments across Calhoun County. Battle Creek police, Michigan State Police, Albion Public Safety, Marshall police, Emmett Township Public Safety, county dispatch and county probation assisted, and the Emmett Township, Newton Township, Leroy Township and Athens fire departments fought the fire, WWMT reported.

What is still unknown. The officer-involved shooting and the fire both remain under investigation, the sheriff’s office said. It has not said what started the fire or whether the officer’s shot struck anyone. The sheriff’s office scheduled a 1 p.m. news conference at the Marshall Regional Law Enforcement Center; WWMT reported it for Tuesday and FOX 17 for Wednesday. We will update this story with what officials say.

Sources:
WWMT, “Domestic incident sparks Calhoun County armed standoff, fatal fire,” Oct. 27, 2026 (sheriff’s release: time, warrants, Special Response Team, shots, drones, BCPD officer, shelter in place, assisting agencies and fire departments, news conference), https://wwmt.com/news/local/domestic-incident-sparks-calhoun-county-armed-standoff-fatal-fire-sheriff-battle-creek-police-travis-baker-running-deer-ridge
FOX 17 West Michigan, “Armed suspect dies after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement in Leroy Township,” Oct. 27, 2026 (release quotes, parents’ concerns, news conference location), https://www.fox17online.com/news/crime/armed-suspect-killed-after-exchanging-gunfire-with-law-enforcement-in-leroy-township
WKZO, “Man dead after standoff, shots fired incident with Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Battle Creek police,” Oct. 27, 2026 (cause of death not disclosed), https://wkzo.com/2026/10/27/984111/
Photo: Joe Ross, “Ford Explorer Michigan State Police car.jpg,” Oct. 27, 2012, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/), cropped and color-adjusted, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ford_Explorer_Michigan_State_Police_car.jpg

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Tags: Battle Creek · Leroy Township · Calhoun County · Calhoun County Sheriff · Battle Creek Police · Public Safety