State high court rules resisting reserve officers can be a crime

BRIGHTON (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court says reserve officers are no different than full-time police officers under a state law that penalizes people who resist.

In a recent unanimous decision, the court acknowledged that reserve officer isn’t specifically mentioned in the law. But the justices say the Legislature intended “an expansive and inclusive reading” of police officer.

In lower courts, Ryan Feeley had successfully argued that Brighton reserve Officer Doug Roberts didn’t fit the meaning of the law.

Feeley was accused of running from Roberts after a disturbance at a bar.

The case now returns to the Michigan appeals court to determine if Roberts’ command to stop was lawful.