Court Officer Robert Silver

Officer: St. Clair County 72nd District Court, Court Officer Robert J. Silver

Date: 12/28/2023        Location: Clay Township, MI             FACTORS (1,7,15)

Perpetrator(s) Involved: Michael Stickler

Criminal Activity History/Involved: None stated/ Stickler was being served an eviction notice.

Mental Illness: None stated.

Substance Abuse History/Involved: Unknown. / None stated.

Race/Sex/Age: White/Male/49

What prompted the initial contact with the killer? On the morning of December 28, 2023, St. Clair County Court Officer Robert Silver went to the residence of Michael Stickler to serve him with an eviction notice.

Actions taken by subject toward police: Stickler ambushed Officer Silver and fatally shot him with a firearm.

Reactions by the police: After Officer Silver had not been heard from for several hours, Clay Township police responded to Stickler’s house and found Officer Silver dead. After a brief standoff the police took Stickler into custody.

How murdered? Officer Silver was ambushed and fatally shot while serving an eviction notice.

What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? Officers routinely respond to 911 calls and serve eviction notices without any violence, so unless there was a known threat, there is no indication anything should have been done differently.

Would the officer have been justified in using deadly force before being murdered? Officer Silver was ambushed and never had a chance to use justified deadly force.

Outcome for the cop-killer: Stickler was arrested and charged with homicide and felony firearms possession.

Miscellaneous: Officer Silver had responded to Stickler’s residence once before without any incident of violence.