Three Michigan State Troopers have been criminally charged for the use of excessive force after stopping a bicyclist for not having lights on his bike.
Troopers Ryan Fitzko and Justin Simpson were each charged with misdemeanor assault and battery. The third trooper involved in the incident, Cody Lukas, was charged with the same in addition to the charge of Misconduct in Office, which is a felony.
Inconsistencies in the police report
The incident occurred on the night of Aug. 24, 2022, in Owosso, MI. The unnamed “subject” could be seen in the dashboard camera footage from the trooper’s vehicle riding on the side of the road, traveling in the opposite direction. Troopers claimed in the police report that the person was riding “in the middle of the road.”
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The next time the victim appears in the car camera footage, he’s actually riding on the sidewalk. Troopers begin to question the victim, who appears to answer nonchalantly and then starts riding away in what could be described as a casual pace.
It escalated in seconds and caught on video
Seconds later, the troopers had tackled the victim to the ground, and ended up deploying a taser and placing the cyclist under arrest for “resisting and obstructing police,” as well as possession of a controlled substance.
The troopers can also clearly be seen punching the victim, who can be heard yelling “Are you f---ing kidding me? For lights on a bike?” The victim sustained injuries severe enough to require hospitalization. After handcuffing the victim, police cut the straps of his backpack and then searched the backpack where they allegedly found the controlled substance.
The Michigan State Police (MSP) have released both the car camera footage as well as the report of the incident in “the interest of transparency” with identifying information redacted to protect the identity of both the victim and witnesses.
According to the MSP, all three troopers involved in this incident have been suspended pending adjudication of the criminal case.
You can watch the full in-car camera footage above.
Natascha Grief got her first bike shop job before she was old enough to drink. After a six-year stint as a mechanic, earning a couple pro-mechanic certifications and her USA Cycling Race Mechanics license, she became obsessed with framebuilding and decided she wanted to do that next. After Albert Eistentraut literally shooed her off his doorstep, admonishing that if she pursued framebuilding she will be poor forever, she landed an apprenticeship with framebuilder Brent Steelman in her hometown of Redwood City, CA. After that, she spent several years working for both large and not-so-large cycling brands. Somewhere in there she also became a certified bike fitter. Natascha then became a certified personal trainer and spent nine years honing her skills as a trainer and coach, while also teaching Spin. During the dumpster fire that was the year 2020, she opened a fitness studio and began contributing regularly to Runner’s World and Bicycling as a freelance writer. In 2022, she joined the staff of Bicycling as News Editor.
