Former Bay City Public Safety Director
Michael Cecchini, 57, of Bay City, pled no contest to one count of Assault and
Battery in the 74th District Court on Tuesday, announced Michigan Attorney
General Dana Nessel. Cecchini pled under a delayed sentence, which requires him
to surrender his MCOLES certification, a prerequisite for employment as a
police officer in the State of Michigan.
“With this plea we were able to secure the surrender of Cecchini’s MCOLES certification and successfully remove an ill-tempered officer from the police force,” said Nessel. “This outcome would not have been legally required in sentencing had he been convicted by a jury, and this is a great example of how a plea agreement can allow our prosecutors to secure a specific and critical element of justice more meaningful than incarceration. Our public safety officers are not above the law, and public integrity will remain a priority for my department.”
While off-duty and at his personal residence, Cecchini used his badge to confront three teenagers riding rented electric scooters in an apartment parking lot. Cecchini threatened the riders with physical violence and arrest before striking one in his lower chest area with the butt of a flashlight. A verbal altercation between the two continued until police were called to the scene. One of the teens recorded most of the incident on a personal cell phone.
Other conditions of his delayed sentence include completion of a court approved anger management class, performance of 40 hours of community service, no contact with the victim, and he must not engage in any new criminal activity.
