Former Michigan cop charged with misconduct bound over for trial

Desmond Milligan · August 18

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A former police officer from the Upper Peninsula accused of misconduct in office will head to trial. Chad Olson was bound over to stand trial on Friday at the 41st Circuit Court in Dickinson County.

According to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, Olson faces two counts of misconduct in office, a felony charge that carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. He also faces one count of falsifying a sales record involving a firearm, a four-year felony, and one count of purchasing a pistol without a license, a 90-day misdemeanor.

Olson was an officer with the Norway Police Department in Dickinson County. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says Olson misused his position to access police databases and get women’s personal contact information.

“It is alleged he then used that information to flirt and curry favor with the women, which led to one sexual encounter with a woman while on duty in the police station,” the office said in a statement.

He resigned from his position on Dec. 20, 2024, but then allegedly purchased a pistol without a license. He allegedly used his MCOLES number, which he no longer had the authority to use.

“We expect law enforcement officers who take an oath to protect and serve our communities to do so with integrity,” Nessel said following Olson’s arraignment. “I commend the investigative efforts of the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department and the Michigan State Police and remain committed to ensuring those who commit such serious dereliction of duty are held accountable.”

Olson is due for a court hearing on Thursday.

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