An Ionia man's attempted late-night stroll took a violent turn when he was approached by a Michigan State Police trooper, leading to a confrontation that ended with both parties nursing minor injuries. Nathaniel Guy Peiffer, 22, now faces multiple felony charges following the altercation that played out in Ionia County on the night of Feb. 6.
The incident began when the trooper, from the MSP Lakeview Post, tried to engage with Peiffer, who was walking in the roadway donning dark attire, after darkness had already set in. Peiffer reportedly took off running, and after a brief foot chase, he turned combative. According to WWJ, the altercation escalated when Peiffer struck the trooper in the face and then "actively resisting" which led to him putting the officer in a headlock.
The scuffle ensued until backup arrived to assist in taking Peiffer into custody, with officers from the Ionia County Sheriff’s Office and the Ionia Department of Public Safety lending hands. The resolution of the tussle, however, came only after both Peiffer and the trooper had sustained minor injuries. They were subsequently treated at Sparrow Hospital in Ionia, as mentioned by News Channel 3.
In the aftermath of the confrontation, authorities revealed that Peiffer, who already had a "lengthy criminal history," was jailed on various charges. These counts included four charges of resisting and obstructing police, possession of methamphetamine, resisting and obstructing causing injury, and assault by strangulation, as confirmed by 13 ON YOUR SIDE. Peiffer is currently held at the Ionia County Jail as he awaits further proceedings related, to the charges pressed against him.
