Yesterday, 10/22/2024, Mike stopped on the road at 23960 21 Mile Road and exchanged words with Ed Battle, who was organizing work materials under the large lean-to at the front of the barn. I was washing dishes and cleaning up the living room. I noticed Mike suddenly running toward the lean-to. It looked like an aggressive act. I decided to stand outside the back door and listen. Ed was behind his red truck; I did not see their interaction; however, I heard shouting. I walked toward the truck, parked at an angle on the cement apron; I called Mike out. From that moment, I did not stop shouting at the top of my voice, like a Drill Sergeant, get off the property, and don’t come back. When he tried to interject, I became louder: he walked toward his white truck, stopped on the road. He noted that he was on the road and not on the property; I said, “Get the fuck out of here, now.” He turned around in the driveway and went west up the road toward his house.

Ed reported that earlier, on the road, Mike had acted aggressively toward him with his vehicle. I got the impression that Mike made moves that teased at forcing Ed off the road. I regard Mike Battle as a psychopath, with fits of uncontrollable rage and disrespectful behavior. A psychopath has little to no remorse for his actions.

I reported the fight, Mike hit Ed in the face, to the Mecosta County Sheriff and Newaygo County Dispatch. This was about 7:30 PM on 10/22/2024. Newaygo County Dispatch said they would send an officer to check on Mike’s mental state when an one became available.

My parents, in their eighties, told me this story. I had not seen them in a while, so they wanted to catch me up on family matters. I had been working overseas. Mike had, not long before, killed and skinned their cat; he gave it to them to cook for dinner, explaining that it was a raccoon that he had hunted and wanted to give them. One of my older brothers—I had seven—learned of the incident, came to the house, and told them not to cook it because it was their cat. Here is my reaction to my father telling me the story: “That’s pretty flaky.”

My father replied: “That’s damn….” I do not know why he trailed off like that and didn’t finish his sentence, except that my family has always been awfully passive-aggressive. He wanted to leave room even for such strange behavior, allowing for the fact that we all have foibles and strange ideas, and, at times, do ill-mannered things. However, I have lived in some of the largest urban centers on the planet. A drug-addicted friend of a friend took the neighbor’s Social Security check from her mailbox and cashed it, explaining that he was giving her an assist when she wasn’t very mobile at the time. That was bad. He took her money and supplied himself with drugs; he stole her Social Security check.

This caused a rift; I did not see my friend much after that. That is my strongest memory of wrongdoing, having lived in San Francisco, Oakland, Tokyo, and Yokohama, and Grand Rapids. My life lessons, and there are many, many, as you can guess, have to do with relationships, walking down the street in large urban centers—some of the largest in the world—holding down a modest-paying job, making my life and the lives of people around me work a little better; I must say, however, that my life lessons never made room for my cousin’s son killing my parents’ house-cat and giving it to them for dinner. Life never prepares you for the actions of a psychopath, even one still in his teens or early twenties. Life does not prepare you for that. That is a different category—the actions of a genuine psychopath—don’t try to fit them in with everything else. Protect your people; don’t be charmed. They have charm, too. Outplay them, outmaneuver them, out-think them, out-talk them, out-predict their moves: Catch them in the act, and, when that happens, release unrelenting holy hell on them! Win!

Mike Battle is my cousin’s son about fifty-five years old. Ed Battle is my brother’s son, my nephew, about forty-five years old. I am now one of the main, responsible people in my family, my core family. I have around fifty nephews and nieces, and what follows from there—you can see that it is a big, big family. To violent, messed up (no fault of your own, I know; you were born that way) people, I tell you in no uncertain terms, and I really mean it, as one of the last, remaining, Clem Battle nuclear family members: Stay the fuck away from my people. I will not hesitate to take the most aggressive action against you in a justifiable moment. I will not hesitate! Stay the fuck away from my people! We WILL live in peace and quiet: We will enjoy this day, and the next day, and the next day—any fucking way we see fit. If you have violent inclinations toward my family, this is my personal protection order, my restraining order: stay away from us! If you do not, you will pay the price for any such incident as the one described above.

The Mecosta County Sheriff’s office put on record all that I said to them. Victims must report Mike to 911 very quickly when he does abusive things. The victims must be the ones to file a complaint; observers can go on record, but only victims can ask for police action. Please be ready to do this when he pulls into the yard or parks on the road outside your house and seems the least bit threatening. The sheriff’s office advised me to do this. Call 911 very quickly—don’t wait, or you may get hurt by this psychopathic madman. He is very dangerous, especially to members of the Clem Battle extended family. Call 911 on him. Do not arm yourself, if that is against your values or lifestyle—DO NOT become the bad guy. Report him to the police, yell at him, curse at him, get him out of your face. Keep in mind that this is far from normal—Oh, Mike had another fit yesterday—it is very wrong, it is very dangerous, it is evil. Stop Mike Battle by peaceful, legal means—outplay him. However, one way or another, we must put an end to these unholy fits of anger that threaten our lives and safety. His unruly actions, violently forcing my nephew off the road with his truck, for example (it was a very aggressive, violent attempt to force Ed off the road, it turns out, in front of Drew Donley’s home), are a threat to our well-being—Get angry back: Stop him from doing it again.