The Oakland County Sheriff's Office is investigating what appears to be a misreported theft of a unique mechanical bull, owned by Stellantis' Ram brand. The alleged theft reportedly took place last Saturday, after a sponsored event in Pontiac, but recent developments suggest that the incident may have been misrepresented. According to an initial claim by Ram, their custom-made mechanical bull, the Bucking HEMI, was stolen following the Roadkill Nights event.
"This is bull****. Our Bucking HEMI was taken on Saturday evening," Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis stated in a news release that was published by Stellantis North America. The report led to an investigation by local law enforcement. However, the Sheriff's Office has since identified discrepancies in the report. Sheriff Michael Bouchard indicated that the alleged theft never occurred and the mechanical bull was in possession of the company's own people. Adding to the confusion, the item was later found 650 miles away by a contractor involved in the event's teardown.
As reported by ClickOnDetroit, the Sheriff noted that the incident has been frustrating and considered a considerable misuse of investigative resources. "I find this to be very frustrating and a tremendous waste of valuable investigative time," Bouchard said in the article. "Now, we’re pivoting to see if a crime was committed by the filing of a false police report."
Despite the Sheriff's statements, Ram stood by the legitimacy of their report, as conveyed to FOX 2 Detroit. The brand clarified that the contractors responsible for the event's disassembly could not locate the machine, which led to the initial assumption of theft. After the story gained attention, a contractor stepped forward with the mechanical bull, promising its return by today. The Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the matter, examining the possibility of false reporting and potential legal implications surrounding the Bucking HEMI's supposed misadventure.
