Bay City's ex-top cop took a plea deal Tuesday, trading in his badge to avoid the cell block for assaulting a teen in a parking lot spat last fall, prosecutors say.
Michael Cecchini, 57, who used to run the show at Bay City’s public safety department, didn't fight the assault and battery charges leveled at him for the September 2022 scuffle that was captured on video by one, of the teens. According to The Detroit News, the out-of-uniform Cecchini had beef with three youngsters joyriding on rented electric scooters in an apartment complex lot when he allegedly threatened to cuff ‘em and rough ‘em up before thumping one in the chest with a flashlight.
Under the deal, the strong-arm lawman has to say goodbye to his Michigan police certification – meaning he won't be policing these streets, or any others in the state, anytime soon – and take an anger management class, put in a 40-hour shift doing community service, stay away from the victim, and keep his hands clean of any new crimes, the Michigan Attorney General's Office detailed in a release.
Cecchini's plea, struck at the 74th District Court, helps rid the force of "an ill-tempered officer," per Michigan AG Dana Nessel's words in a statement. Nessel hailed the outcome, stating, "Our public safety officers are not above the law, and public integrity will remain a priority for my department." It seems the former chief's quick to settle rather than face his peers in court potentially saved him from a stiffer sentence, a jury might have handed down.
The fumbled handle of justice winds up costing the city's insurance some serious dough, to the tune of $90,000, to settle the lawsuit brought forth by the teen on the receiving end of Cecchini's heavy hand, as reported by MLive.com. Neither Cecchini nor his attorney Marcus Garske provided comments on the matter after the plea.
