WEST OLIVE -- Both students and the president of Grand Valley State University on Monday demanded answers from police into last week's shooting of GVSU student Derek Copp during a drug raid.Students and others protested outside Ottawa County Sheriff's Department, while President Thomas Haas said in an email to students and staff that authorities should explain why Derek Copp, 20, was shot Wednesday night in his off-campus apartment during a drug raid by the West Michigan Enforcement Team.

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"I want to know what brought the Enforcement Team to Derek's apartment and why a firearm was discharged," Haas said in an email to faculty and students sent Monday morning.

"The fact that this incident took place off-campus diminishes neither my interest nor my concern," Haas said.

"I thought it best to ... put out a letter to the Michigan State Police so that they understood that I would want and expect the information... that as the (college's) president, I would want that information."

The protesters, chanting and carrying signs, weren't as polite, but the event stayed peaceful, with a handful meeting with sheriff's Lt. Mark Bennett. They left without additional details, but with assurances that results of investigations by the Sheriff's Department and state police would eventually be released.

Police also offered to meet with student representatives.

"Trust me, we want to get this thing completed, get the answers to the community as quickly as possible," Bennett said.

Moments earlier, protesters chanted, "We want the truth," while others shouted, "Justify the shooting, Ottawa County," and "Why was my friend shot, Ottawa County?"

Protest outside Ottawa County Sheriff's office

Some held signs that said, "I'm unarmed. Are you going to shoot me?"

Bennett acknowledged protesters' frustrations and anger, but provided no specifics on the shooting, because it is subject to an internal investigation as well as the state police probe. No timetable was set.

"I want to make sure you folks have the opportunity to have your voices heard," he said.

Many students questioned the response of the undercover drug team. No one, they said, should find it unusual that marijuana turns up at college.

"We really want people to be safe," said Vanessa Crowley, a GVSU senior. "(Copp) was non-violent, he was unarmed, he was no threat whatsoever."

Greg Hatt, a former student who helped organize the protest, was among many who think that marijuana laws should be changed. He said the shooting should serve as a "catalyst for ending the drug war. ... This is not an isolated event."

S. Daniel Carter, director of public policy at Security on Campus, "The whole community has a lot of interest (and) there clearly needs to be an investigation of what happened. ... Did the law enforcement officer or officers have a legitimate reason to think they were in danger and did they follow procedure established ... by their department for use of lethal force?

"That's the main question," Carter said.

E-mail John Agar: jagar@grpress.com

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