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Lilleberg
Ludington officer suffers ‘lifetime’ injuries from assault.
#MasonCountyCrime
By Allison Scarbrough, Editor.
LUDINGTON – A 23-year-old Ludington man was sentenced to serve 90 days up front of a one-year discretionary jail term in 51st Circuit Court Tuesday, Feb. 5, for three misdemeanor counts of attempted resisting and opposing a police officer.
Darrick Cole Lilleberg, of 410 N. Delia St., initially faced three felony charges of assaulting, resisting and opposing police following his arrest by the Ludington Police Department last August.
LPD Sgt. Michael Haveman suffered a major shoulder injury during the incident.
“The impact that this case has had on Sgt. Haveman has been significant,” said Mason County Prosecutor Paul Spaniola. “He was off work for eight months for a dislocated shoulder. None of us believe he intentionally injured Sgt. Havemen, but it has had a serious impact on him.”
The prosecutor described the sergeant’s “long-lasting lifetime injuries as far as arthritis. Every day our officers go out and do some of the most important work in our society, and they do it very well but they assume risk. These types of injuries seldom occur but they do happen.”
Sgt. Haveman addresses the court.
“As Mr. Spaniola said, it has had long-lasting effects,,” Havemen said. “There were several acts that could have stopped this from happening. I told him repeatedly to stop, but he continued to fight knowing I was hurt. This caused more damage to my shoulder. It’s torn from the front all the way to the back, including my rotator cuff. I can’t sleep at night. I can’t throw a baseball and participate in my kids’ activities.”
Due to financial hardships caused by the injury, Haveman said his wife was forced into working full time. Havemen said he couldn’t drive or care for their children. He has a child with physical needs, who he could not care for. The sergeant was in physical therapy for four months following surgery. Follow-up surgeries for arthritis are forthcoming, he said.
“I couldn’t coach my kid’s team for a year,” he added. “I couldn’t sleep in bed for two months.”
Haveman said the court believes it’s doing the right thing by sentencing Lilleberg to jail. “Perhaps the right thing is a little different to me,” he said.
Lilleberg regrets his actions, said his attorney David Glancy. “He should not have been at the bar and drinking, which led to poor decisions and led to the injuries Sgt. Haveman suffered.”
His client has secured a good-paying job in Wyoming so he can begin to pay back the restitution for medical insurance costs, Glancy said.
“Officer Haveman, I am truly sorry for the significant damage I caused you and your family,” Lilleberg said to the sergeant, describing his actions as a “drunk decision.”
Lilleberg had no prior criminal record, Spaniola said.
“This case really shows one bad decision, followed by another bad decision, and another bad decision that turn into a huge problem,” said Judge Susan K. Sniegowski. “After he was injured, you continued to do things that continued to hurt him.”
“I could see a lot more jail time in this case, but that doesn’t repair the damage that was done,” Sniegowski said. Restitution, which currently totals $43,379.38, is reserved for 30 days.
The judge also ordered one year probation and gave Lilleberg credit for 28 days served in jail.
Attempted resisting and opposing police has a maximum penalty of one year in jail.
This story is copyrighted © 2019, all rights reserved by Media Group 31, LLC, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. No portion of this story or images may be reproduced in any way, including print or broadcast, without expressed written consent.
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