South Haven Police Department, Michigan
End of Watch: Friday, January 9, 1976
Age: 40
Tour of Duty: 15 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: January 9, 1976
Weapon Used: Handgun; 9 mm
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Police Officer Michael McAllister was shot and killed while searching a suspect after responding to a report of gunshots at 2:45 am.
When he arrived on the scene, he located the suspect on North Shore Drive, just north of the city limits, and began to pat him down. With his back to Officer McAllister during the search, the suspect suddenly fired a gun through his own coat, striking Officer McAllister in the stomach three times. The subject was apprehended a short distance away.
At the time of the shooting, the subject was a radical and was wanted for the October 9th, 1971, hijacking of Eastern Airlines Flight 953 and its 44 passengers on a flight from Detroit to Miami. He forced the pilots to fly to Havana, Cuba. It was discovered that he had stayed in Cuba for four years before secretly returning to the United States. He was sentenced to life in prison for Officer McAllister's murder on September 10th, 1976. In February 2021, he was granted parole and released in May 2021.
Officer McAllister had served with the South Haven Police Department for 15 years. He was survived by his five children.