PORT SHELDON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Police say a domestic dispute was at the root of a deadly shooting in Muskegon and subsequent officer-involved shooting in Ottawa County Sunday morning.
ATTORNEY: HARTMANS' MARRIAGE WAS ENDING
"Unfortunately, there were a number of signs that this was a volatile situation and this guy, I think, they should’ve paid more attention to," Mary Hartman’s attorney Robert German told 24 Hour News 8 Monday.
He said Mary Hartman had filed to divorce her husband in September.
Mary Hartman told 24 Hour News 8 she was not in a romantic relationship with Carey and that he was just a good friend. She said her husband was jealous.
German also said there was a history of domestic violence in the Hartmans' marriage. Mary Hartman's father told 24 Hour News 8 Sunday that police had been called to the couple's home before when Hartman was firing shots.
"Mary had called 911 numerous times trying to report things like the domestic violence," German said. "One time her head had gotten pushed through the glass window."
German said Matt Hartman was arrested and his gun seized in February after allegedly pointing the weapon at his wife. German said Mary Hartman became upset with investigators during a police interview and stormed out.
"They began question Mary about unrelated things, basically upset her. She said. ‘That’s it, I’m done. I’m out of here,'" German said. "(She) ultimately said, ‘It didn’t happen, none of this happened, so I’m out of here.’"
As a result, the case against Matt Hartman was dismissed, he got the gun back and Mary Hartman was charged with filing a false police report.