COLDWATER, Mich. – A statement has been issued regarding a Branch County Sheriff’s Deputy.

In the statement, Branch County Prosecutor Zach Stempien says that two cases in Branch County Circuit Court have been dismissed because Deputy Patrick Hann was inactive. Stempien says he contacted officials with the Michigan Commission On Law Enforcement Standards, who confirmed Hann is inactive and has no authority as a police officer.

Hann was hired by the Branch County Sheriff’s Department in August 2023. He previously served with the Jonesville and Marshall Police Departments.

Branch County Sheriff John Pollack says all new hires are placed on Inactive Status when they leave a department they have worked at. The department that hires the individual must contact MCOLES to activate the individual’s certification process, which Pollack says he did.

In October, Pollack says he discovered that MCOLES was not showing Hann’s certification as being active. When he asked why, Pollack says he was told that Hann would not be taken off inactive status.

Stempien says in the release that he reviewed all of the cases that Hann was involved in. He then reached out to the Sheriff’s Department, all the involved defense attorneys, the MCOLES Director, Branch County Court personnel and the Michigan State Police.

Stempien says that all traffic tickets that were issued by Hann have been reversed. All the criminal cases, including felonies and misdemeanors were also dismissed.

The Michigan State Police have been contacted by Stempien to do an independent investigation.