A Grand Rapids man was arraigned Monday in Lake County District Court on charges stemming from a March 20 automobile crash that occurred east of Luther and west of U.S. 131.
Devinci Osiris Dumas, 21, is accused of kicking a Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officer in the head numerous times, while attempting to escape custody.
The officer credits two passersby with saving his life.
Dumas did not enter a plea in court Monday after being arraigned on several charges, including assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder or by strangulation, malicious destruction of fire or police property, resisting and obstructing a conservation officer, escape from lawful custody and being a habitual offender, second offense.
He is scheduled to return to court at 1:30 p.m. April 5 for a probable cause conference.
“This incident illustrates the type of danger our officers can encounter while on patrol,” said Lt. Joe Molnar, of the DNR’s Law Enforcement Division. “Fortunately, this situation was resolved without more serious consequences.”
At 9:54 a.m. March 20, Lake County dispatchers contacted DNR Conservation Officer Josiah Killingbeck. They asked him to respond to a report of a vehicle in a swamp, located near 3 Mile and Hawkins roads.
Killingbeck headed to the scene and arrived at the location at 10:03 a.m. to find that a Saturn Vue had failed to stop at stop sign at the intersection, had gone airborne for a short distance and was now situated about 150 feet off the north side of the intersection.
Dumas and Hannah Marie Holcomb, 19, of Dorr were found in the vehicle. Neither were injured in the crash.
After an initial investigation, Killingbeck placed Dumas under arrest for open intoxicants in a vehicle and providing false information to a peace officer.
Dumas was put into the front passenger seat of Killingbeck’s patrol truck. He was handcuffed behind his back. The seat belt was secured around him.
Not long after Killingbeck began driving to the Lake County Jail in Baldwin, Dumas freed himself from the safety belt and began to attack Killingbeck by turning himself in the seat so he could deliver multiple kicks to the conservation officer.
Two passersby stopped at the scene. They were able to help Killingbeck restrain Dumas. Killingbeck was taken to Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital for evaluation. He was later released.
Michigan conservation officers are fully commissioned state peace officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety and protect citizens by providing general law enforcement duties and lifesaving operations in the communities they serve.
