A 45-year-old Edwardsburg-area man is dead following an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement officers in Cass County Wednesday afternoon.

Cass County Sheriff Clint Roach says deputies responded around 12:08 p.m. to a home in the 29000 block of Davis Lake Street in Jefferson Township after a 911 caller reported an armed man had kicked in a front door.

A second caller from the home told dispatchers her husband was inside and armed with a gun.

Deputies arrived and contacted the callers, who had escaped through the back door. Authorities then noticed the home was on fire.

Investigators say the suspect fled into a wooded area north of the home. Officers from several agencies established a perimeter and later received reports of a man matching the suspect’s description near Harris Street.

Michigan State Police troopers attempted to contact the suspect near railroad tracks when shots were reportedly fired.

A short time later, officers encountered the suspect again near Pine Lake Street and Harris Street, where another exchange of gunfire occurred. The suspect was struck and later died despite life-saving efforts by officers and paramedics.

The Michigan State Police 6th District Investigative Response Team is handling the investigation. The suspect’s name has not yet been released.

Multiple agencies assisted at the scene, including Michigan State Police, Ontwa Township Police, Cassopolis Police, Pokagon Tribal Police, Edwardsburg Fire Department, SMACS Ambulance, and the Cass County Victim Services Unit.