Elderly man avoids jail for resisting arrest in traffic stop

BELLAIRE (AP) — An 84-year-old northern Michigan bar owner convicted of resisting arrest during a traffic stop by Michigan State Police that left him injured has avoided jail time.

A judge on Thursday sentenced Larry Sevenski to time served along with $1,800 in fines and costs. He had faced up to two years in prison after a jury convicted him in July.

Troopers said that after they stopped Sevenski on March 17 for failing to signal a turn, he stepped out of his vehicle, approached their patrol car and raised a fist to Trooper Brock Artfitch. 

The trooper tackled Sevenski, leaving the man hospitalized with a broken arm and bloodied nose.

Sevenski said the troopers were staking out his bar, Larry's Seven-Ski Inn, to catch drunken drivers on St. Patrick's Day.