Grand Rapids Police officer charged with raping ex-girlfriend resigns after months on the job
MLive
March 2, 2015
WYOMING, MI -- A rookie Grand Rapids Police Officer is charged with breaking into the home of his ex-girlfriend and sexually assaulting the woman.
Ryan James Bruggink, a 24-year-old Byron Center resident who started with GRPD in June, is accused of going to the woman's home in the 1100 block of Wheeler Street SW in the Godfrey-Lee neighborhood after the woman told him not to come over.
Michigan State Police say Bruggink showed up at the home around 3:30 a.m. Nov. 25 and pushed the woman down by her face after she opened the door a crack to see what he wanted, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Wyoming District Court.
He assaulted her before leaving, police say.
GRPD Lt. Patrick Merrill said Bruggink was hired in June and was still in training and had not yet worked a solo shift as of November. Merrill said Bruggink was off duty when the alleged incident occurred.
Bruggink was placed on administrative leave the day State Police alerted Grand Rapids to the allegations in December and he resigned the following day, according to Merrill.
Bruggink is scheduled for a probable cause hearing Wednesday, March 3, where a judge will determine if there is enough evidence to send the case to felony court.
Bruggink is free after posting $5,000 of a $50,000 bond.
Grand Rapids Police officer charged with raping ex-girlfriend resigns after months on the job
MLive
Mar. 02, 2015
WYOMING, MI -- A rookie Grand Rapids Police Officer is charged with breaking into the home of his ex-girlfriend and sexually assaulting the woman.
Ryan James Bruggink, a 24-year-old Byron Center resident who started with GRPD in June, is accused of going to the woman's home in the 1100 block of Wheeler Street SW in the Godfrey-Lee neighborhood after the woman told him not to come over.
Michigan State Police say Bruggink showed up at the home around 3:30 a.m. Nov. 25 and pushed the woman down by her face after she opened the door a crack to see what he wanted, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Wyoming District Court.
He assaulted her before leaving, police say.
GRPD Lt. Patrick Merrill said Bruggink was hired in June and was still in training and had not yet worked a solo shift as of November. Merrill said Bruggink was off duty when the alleged incident occurred.
Bruggink was placed on administrative leave the day State Police alerted Grand Rapids to the allegations in December and he resigned the following day, according to Merrill.
Bruggink is scheduled for a probable cause hearing Wednesday, March 3, where a judge will determine if there is enough evidence to send the case to felony court.
Bruggink is free after posting $5,000 of a $50,000 bond.
GRPD officer resigns after being charged with rape
Grand Rapids police officer resigned after being charged with CSC
WZZM News
March 02, 2015
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WZZM) - A former Grand Rapids police officer faces felony charges for allegedly breaking into an ex-girlfriend's home and sexually assaulting her.
Ryan James Bruggink, 24, is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and first degree home invasion stemming from the Nov. 25, 2014 incident at his ex-girlfriend's home in Wyoming.
Bruggink will be in Wyoming District Court Wednesday for a probable cause hearing on the felony charges that could put him in prison for up to life.
Bruggink, who lives in Byron Center, was hired on June 16, 2014 and never worked alone on road patrol, Grand Rapids Police Lt. Patrick Merrill said today.
"Once the accusation came forward, he was removed from duty,'' Merrill said. "He resigned when the accusations came to light.''
The victim reported the assault on Dec. 1; Bruggink resigned the following day. Merrill said.
"He spent less than six months with us as a whole,'' Merrill said. "When new officers are hired they spend a significant amount of time in the training process. The accusations came to light when he was still with his training officer.''
Michigan State Police handled the criminal investigation. Bruggink was charged on Jan. 27 and processed at the Kent County Jail. He was released the following day after posting 10 percent of a $50,000 bond.
Bruggink arrived at the victim's home at 3:30 a.m. two days before Thanksgiving after being told by the woman not to come over, according to a probable cause affidavit
"The defendant gained entry by pushing the victim by her face after she cracked the door open,'' Michigan State Police Trooper William Coon wrote in the affidavit. "While inside the residence, he forced sexual intercourse on the victim.''
In October Bruggink was featured in a story on WZZM 13 about his efforts to help save a young buck trapped inside a fenced baseball field. Once the buck became tired Bruggink was able to scoop up the animal and release it in the nearby woods.
Officer charged with raping ex-girlfriend has hearing
MLive
March 4, 2015
A former rookie Grand Rapids police officer is charged with breaking into the home of his ex-girlfriend and sexually assaulting the woman.
Ryan James Bruggink, a 24-year-old Byron Center resident who started with GRPD in June, is accused of going to the woman's home in the Godfrey-Lee neighborhood after the woman told him not to visit.
Michigan State Police allege Bruggink showed up at the home about 3:30 a.m. Nov. 25 and pushed the woman down by her face after she opened the door a crack to see what he wanted, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Wyoming District Court.
He assaulted her before leaving, police said.
GRPD Lt. Patrick Merrill said Bruggink was hired in June and still was in training and had not yet worked a solo shift as of November. Bruggink was off duty when the alleged incident occurred.
Bruggink was placed on administrative leave the day state police alerted Grand Rapids to the allegations in December, and he resigned the following day, Merrill said.
Bruggink is scheduled for a probable cause hearing today, where a judge will determine if there is enough evidence to send the case to felony court.
Bruggink is free after posting $5,000 of a $50,000 bond.
Attorney for former Grand Rapids Police officer accused of rape says facts will vindicate rookie cop
MLive
March 4, 2015
WYOMING, MI - The attorney for former Grand Rapids Police Officer Ryan Bruggink says he looks forward to presenting his case, which he says is very different from the details that have been offered so far.
Bruggink was in Wyoming District Court on Wednesday, March 4, where he is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and home invasion.
Bruggink is accused of showing up at his ex-girlfriend's home in the Godfrey-Lee neighborhood after she told him not to come over around 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 25.
According to Michigan State Police investigators, the alleged victim says Bruggink forced his way into the house in the 1100 block of Wheeler Street SW and then sexually assaulted her.
Related: Grand Rapids Police officer charged with raping ex-girlfriend resigns after months on the job
The 24-year-old Byron Center resident was hired by the police department in June, was still in training and had not yet worked a solo shift as of November, according to GRPD Lt. Patrick Merrill. Bruggink was off-duty when the alleged incident occurred.
Bruggink was placed on administrative leave the day State Police alerted Grand Rapids of the allegations in December, and Bruggink resigned the following day.
In court Wednesday, the scheduled probable cause hearing was adjourned to allow attorneys time to review evidence and prepare. Chief Assistant Kent County Prosecutor Christopher Becker said the hearing could have moved forward with the prosecution presenting its case, but it would have then required all the witnesses to return to be questioned by the defense.
Outside the courtroom, Lansing-based defense attorney Scott Grabel urged the public to reserve judgement until hearing all the facts.
"You will see this thing in a different light," Grabel said. "This case is considerably different than what is being reported."
Grabel said the fact that his client resigned should not be seen as an admission of guilt.
He said Bruggink knew that it would be impossible to do his job with this cloud of accusation hanging over his head, so he did the most expedient thing by resigning for now.
"It's going to be hard to get your job back even if you're vindicated," Grabel said. "After this case is over, he may still pursue a career in law enforcement."
Bruggink is scheduled to return to court March 11 where a district court judge will hear evidence and decide whether the case should move forward to felony court before Kent County Circuit Court Judge Donald Johnston.
Bruggink remains free after posting $5,000 of a $50,000 bond. He faces a maximum of life in prison, if convicted.
Alleged rape victim testifies she told Ryan Bruggink his infidelity to her could jeopardize his care
MLive
Mar 11, 2015
Alleged rape victim admits she told former Grand Rapids Police officer Ryan Bruggink that his infidelity to her could jeopardize his career and future during Bruggink's preliminary examination at Wyoming District Court Wednesday, March 11, 2015.
Alleged rape victim: 'I was scared to call the police'
MLive
Mar 11, 2015
Woman testifies she was scared to go to the police after former Grand Rapids Police officer Ryan Bruggink allegedly raped her during Bruggink's preliminary examination at Wyoming District Court Wednesday, March 11, 2015.
Woman testifies her infant daughter was in the bed when former police officer raped her
MLive
Mar. 11, 2015
WYOMING, MI - The defense attorney who promised there was more to the story regarding a former Grand Rapids Police officer accused of rape was not wrong.
The woman who says 24-year-old rookie cop Ryan James Bruggink broke into her home in the Godfrey-Lee neighborhood, assaulted her and then raped her in the same bed where her infant daughter was sleeping took the stand Wednesday, March 11, in Wyoming District Court.
The woman said she met Bruggink through an online dating service in January of 2014. She said the two immediately began an intimate relationship that ended several months later when she found out via Facebook that he was dating another woman.
Under questioning by defense attorney Robert Hackett, the woman said that at the time of the break-up, she sent text messages to Bruggink saying that his dishonesty in the relationship could result in a spurned ex-girlfriend being mad enough to "jeopardize" his career, his relationships and his future in general.
"I told him to exit the relationship more gracefully," she testified.
She said after that time, they remained friends who dated each other a couple times a month.
But on the evening of Nov. 24, he allegedly called and sent text messages to the woman saying he wanted to come over to her home in the 1100 block of Wheeler Street SW.
"I kept telling him 'No, don't come over," the woman told Assistant Kent County Prosecutor Robin Esslinger.
She said she knew that Bruggink was at a bar drinking that night and she did not want to see him.
But under questioning by Hackett, she did say that she had told him at one point that he could come over if he brought her a birthday present.
But she said that when he showed up at her door at 3:30 a.m., she made it clear that she did not want him to come in.
She said Bruggink threatened to break down the door and began rattling it, leading her to open the door a crack with her foot blocking it from opening further.
The alleged victim said she did not call the police that night because she did not want the situation to escalate, she did not want to wake her children and she was afraid to call police because Bruggink said he had "buddies" on the Wyoming Police force.
I was scared to call the police," she said. "He was police."
She said she eventually called Michigan State Police, after which time Bruggink was arrested.
Bruggink, a Byron Township resident, was hired in June by the police department and had not yet worked a solo shift as of November. He was off-duty when the alleged incident occurred.
Bruggink was placed on administrative leave the day State Police alerted Grand Rapids of the allegations in December, and he resigned the following day, according to city officials.
After the testimony Wednesday, Esslinger asked Judge Steven Timmers to send the case to Kent County Circuit Court for felony proceedings and added two more counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct to Bruggink's case. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison on three counts of CSC-1 and a count of home invasion.
The case is scheduled to be heard by Judge Donald Johnston. Bruggink remains free after posting $5,000 of a $50,000 bond.
Former GRPD cop bound over on 4 felony charges
WZZM News
March 11, 2015
WYOMING, Mich. (WZZM) - A former Grand Rapids police officer on Wednesday was bound over on four felony charges; if convicted, Ryan Bruggink could spend the rest of his life in prison.
In district court, a former girlfriend of the Byron Center man testified he raped her at her home, as her seven-month-old infant lay nearby on the same bed. The woman said Bruggink also assaulted her on a couch after forcing his way into her home last November.
She said in testimony that she "was afraid that he was gonna fall on the baby, or if I started pushing him off he would fall on the baby, so I told him 'let's go in the other room.'"
She said she had not been dating Bruggink for months when he came to her home that night. She said he raped her at knifepoint.
Asked by the prosecutor if she called police after the attack, the alleged victim said, "No, I was scared to call the police."
"Why?"
"I don't know; I was just scared. He works for them; I just didn't know."
The victim said she was scared to call Wyoming police because Bruggink "knew people there." She said she "got the run-around" while talking with the Kent County Sheriff's Department. Eventually, the Michigan State Police came and her took her criminal complaint.
As soon as the MSP notified the GRPD about the allegations in early December, the department suspended Bruggink. He resigned from the force shortly after.
Bruggink faces three charges of criminal sexual conduct and one count of home invasion.
Ex-cop’s rape charges enhanced after alleged victim testifies he raped her in bed with infant, called her ‘ghetto piece of s---’
NY Daily News
March 17, 2015
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/raped-woman-infant-bed-called-ghetto-vic-article-1.2151758
An unhinged Michigan cop allegedly forced his way into his ex-girlfriend's house, called her a "ghetto piece of s---" and sexually assaulted her on a bed as her infant daughter slept beside them, the woman testified last week.
Ryan James Bruggink, a 24-year-old who resigned from the force in Grand Rapids after the department learned about the case against him, allegedly showed up at his unidentified ex-girlfriend's home and brutally assaulted her early in the morning of Nov. 25, MLive.com reported.
After the woman's disturbing testimony during last Wednesday's preliminary hearing, prosecutors added two counts of criminal sexual conduct to Bruggink's charges, which already included criminal sexual conduct and home invasion, according to the outlet. Bruggink could face life behind bars if he's convicted, MLive reported.
The alleged victim said that Bruggink began rifling through her possessions. When she asked him to stop, he showed her his badge, according to the Raw Story blog.
The cop then proceeded to rape her on the very bed where her 7-month-old daughter was asleep, the victim told authorities. She said the off-duty cop told her she was a "ghetto piece of s---" and said he loved her so much he hated it, the blog reported.
She said Bruggink had been drinking at a bar that night, and that he brandished a knife and threatened to slay her cat.
The alleged assault continued in another room, where Bruggink is accused of forcibly penetrating and choking her.
"I couldn't breathe," the woman told the court, MLive reported. "I couldn't even talk."
She finally managed to free her arms enough to fight back, and eventually tossed a garbage can at her aggressor, who decided to leave shortly afterward, she said. The cop called her the next day to apologize and claimed they had consensual sex, according to MLive.
Under questioning from Robert Hackett, Bruggink's lawyer, the alleged victim said she caught him cheating on her when they were dating last year, and told the cop that his career could be in danger. The two had rough but consensual sexual encounters even after the relationship had ended, she said, but nothing as extreme as the night of Nov. 25.
The Grand Rapids Police Department placed Bruggink on leave on Dec. 1, five days after the Michigan State Police began investigating him, WOOD-TV reported. The cop, who had been on the beat for only a few months, resigned the following day.
Former police officer accused of rape rejects plea offer
MLive
April 16, 2015
The alleged victim said the sexual assault began on the bed she shared with her 7-month-old daughter, but she was able to get him to move the assault to the living room.
She said the officer slapped her and choked her while he raped her.
She said he called the next day to apologize for his actions.
Bruggink's attorneys, Robert Hackett and Scott Grabel, say they will present a vigorous defense and have called into question the alleged victim's motives and introduced texts and conversations designed to show that the woman was a spurned ex-girlfriend bent on revenge.
The attorneys appeared in Kent County Circuit Court on Wednesday, April 15, where the Kent County Prosecutor's Office offered Bruggink a chance to plead guilty to one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and the rest of the charges would be dismissed.
But the offer was not accepted, meaning the case will be set for trial likely to come in June before Judge Donald Johnston.
After the hearing, defense attorney Grabel hinted that more developments were in the offing before the case gets to a jury.
Bruggink remains free after posting $5,000 of a $50,000 bond.
Attorneys for rookie cop accused of rape say woman lied about sex hours before alleged assault
MLive
Jul. 20, 2015
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The attorneys for a former rookie Grand Rapids Police officer accused of raping an ex-girlfriend say they have ample proof that the woman lied about having sex with another man hours before the alleged assault.
Ryan James Bruggink is charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one charge of home invasion stemming from the 3:30 a.m. Nov. 24 incident in North Wyoming.
According to the alleged victim, Bruggink pushed his way into the home in the 1100 block of Wheeler Street SW and began acting bizarrely. She said he was going through her possessions and showed the badge he received five months earlier, saying it justified his actions.
She said the sexual assault began on the bed she shared with her 7-month-old daughter, but she was able to get Bruggink to move the assault to the living room.
She said the officer slapped her and choked her while he raped her. She said he called the next day to apologize for his actions.
The woman called police and was examined Nov. 26, where she checked a box saying she had not had consensual sex in the last 96 hours.
On March 31, the woman testified in Wyoming District Court that she had not had a friend come over the night in question.
However, Lansing-based defense attorney Scott Grabel contends that text messages from the woman to another man indicates she had sexual relations within a couple hours of the sex with Bruggink.
Normally, an alleged rape victim's sexual history would not be allowed under Michigan "Rape Shield" law that prevents the victim's sexual past from being introduced because of its prejudicial and irrelevant nature.
But Grabel is hoping to convince Kent County Circuit Court Judge Donald Johnston that the recent sexual encounter alleged here is relevant because it show she was lying both in court and on the medical form she filled out.
Grabel also argues that the evidence gathered in the physical examination of the woman after she made her allegation should be reconsidered with the knowledge that she was having sex with another man in such close proximity to the alleged assault.
Grabel also wants to introduce evidence of the type of rough sex Bruggink and the alleged victim had previous to the alleged assault that characterized their intimate history.
"This was consensual 100 percent," Grabel said Monday, July 20. He said without the context of their past relationship, the evidence unfairly prejudices his client.
Bruggink has passed five polygraph tests and the victim has refused the defense's offer to pay for a polygraph done by her choice of examiner, according to Grabel. The prosecution is precluded from asking an alleged victim to take a polygraph test, but the defense can ask.
Polygraph tests are not admissible as evidence of truth during a trial but are often used in the preliminary stages of prosecution to procure plea deals. Grabel said the prosecution in this case has shown no interest in the results of his client's multiple tests.
Grabel said there is ample evidence beyond the polygraph proving his client's innocence that will come out at trial.
"This is just the tip of the iceberg," Grabel said.
Grabil will argue the motion Friday, July 24, before Johnston in anticipation of an Aug. 31 trial date.
On April 15, Bruggink turned down an offer from the Kent County Prosecutor's Office to plead guilty to one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and have the rest of the charges dismissed.
Defense expert to see exam records of alleged victim of rape by police officer
MLive
Dec 15, 2015
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The records of a sexual assault nurse examiner will be turned over to a doctor employed by the defense team for a former police officer who is charged with raping a woman more than a year ago.
This, along with other defense motions, has meant further delay in the trial slated to begin this week for 25-year-old Ryan James Bruggink, a former rookie officer with the Grand Rapids Police Department now facing a maximum of life in prison if he is convicted of first-degree criminal sexual assault.
According to the alleged victim, at around 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 24, 2014, Bruggink pushed his way into the home in the 1100 block of Wheeler Street SW in North Wyoming and began acting bizarrely.
She said the officer, who had spent less than six months on the job, was going through her possessions and showed her his police badge, saying it justified his actions.
She said the sexual assault began on the bed she shared with her 7-month-old daughter but she was able to get him to move the assault to the living room, away from the baby.
She said the officer slapped her and choked her while he raped her. She said he called the next day to apologize for his actions.
However, Lansing-based defense attorney Scott Grabil says the sex was 100 percent consensual and he wants his expert -- Stephen Geurtin, a medical director at Sparrow Hospital and sexual abuse authority - to see the results of the alleged victim's so-called rape kit.
The woman called police and was examined on Nov. 26, where she checked a box saying she had not had "consensual coitus" in the last 96 hours.
On March 31, the woman testified in Wyoming District Court that she had not had a friend come over the night in question.
But Grabel contends that text messages from the woman to another man show that she had sexual relations within a couple hours of the sex with Bruggink.
Grabel argues evidence gathered in the physical examination of the woman after she made her allegation should be reconsidered with the knowledge that she was having sex with another man in such close proximity to the alleged assault.
Normally, an alleged rape victim's sexual history and her medical records would not be allowed under Michigan's "Rape Shield" law that prevents the victim's sexual past from being introduced because of its prejudicial and irrelevant nature.
Earlier this month, the Kent County Prosecutor's Office agreed to allow the records to be turned over to the doctor, only with the agreement he will not show the results to anyone else or make copies of them.
Meanwhile, Grabel is hoping to convince Kent County Circuit Court Judge Donald Johnston that the recent sexual encounter alleged here is relevant because he claims it shows she was lying both in court and on the medical form she filled out.
Grabel will argue that motion on Jan. 8 and he also wants to introduce evidence of the type of rough sex Bruggink and the alleged victim had previous to the alleged assault that characterized their intimate history.
Bruggink has passed five polygraph tests and the victim has refused the defense offer to pay for a polygraph done by her choice of examiner, according to Grabel. The prosecution is precluded from asking an alleged victim to take a polygraph test, but the defense can ask.
The trial is now slated to begin Jan. 19, marking the fourth time the trial has been rescheduled from its original date of Aug. 31.
On April 15, Bruggink turned down a prosecution offer to plead guilty to one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and the rest of the charges would be dismissed.
Bruggink, who resigned from his job as soon as charges were filed a year ago, remains free on a $50,000 bond.
Ex-Grand Rapids cop's trial for sexual assault underway
Ryan Bruggink is charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct
WZZM News
March 22, 2016
A former Grand Rapids officer charged with sexual assault drunkenly barged into his alleged victim’s home and raped her despite repeatedly being told to leave, a prosecutor said today in opening statements at the man’s jury trial.
Ryan Bruggink spent the night of Nov. 24, 2014 drinking at two locations while repeatedly texting his former girlfriend that he was going to come over, Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Jeff Kemperman told jurors in opening statements Tuesday.
Bruggink is charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. The trial before Kent County Circuit Court Judge Donald A. Johnston got underway with jury selection on Monday.
Bruggink contends the sexual encounter was consensual.
Bruggink stumbled up to the woman’s Wyoming home about 3:30 a.m. Nov. 25 and tried to get in through a locked door, Kemperman said.
“She has her foot behind the door to prop it so he can’t get in,’’ Kemperman told jurors. “He reaches through the door with his hand, grabs her by the face and shoves her back into the home.’’
Once inside, Bruggink refuses to leave and says he wants to sleep on the couch, Kemperman said.
“He can hardly stand up,’’ he told jurors. “She’s praying that drunkeness finally causes him to pass out and goes into her room.’’
Bruggink eventually awakes and enters the woman’s bedroom, where she is asleep with her six-month-old daughter, Kemperman told jurors.
He attacked the 29-year-old woman, and the confrontation moves out of the bedroom, he said.
The woman “screams and fights with everything she’s got to get this guy off of her,’’ Kemperman told jurors. “She throws a plastic garbage can at him. Finally he puts on his boots and leaves.’’
Bruggink, he said, ignores “one of the most fundamental rules that we have in the law. Quite simply? No means no.’’
Defense attorney William D. McCririe told jurors that Bruggink did visit the woman that night, but said the sex was consensual.
“This was a mutually beneficial rough sex relationship between these two people,’’ he said in opening statements. “Think about how many times these people have done these very same things with each other.
“Listen to the things that they would do when they got together and then decide if no meant no.’’
The woman took the stand where she described how Bruggink later admitted to having sex, but told her it was with her consent.
“I asked him if he knew what happened,’’ the mother of three told jurors. “Like I said, he was very drunk and he said ‘yeah, we had consensual sex, and he was laughing.’’
“OK, I want to make sure we’re clear. Did he say the exact word ‘consensual,’’’ Kemperman asked.
“Yes,’’ she responded. “And he was laughing,’’ Kemperman asked? “Yes,’’ she said.
Bruggink, 25, is charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and first degree home invasion stemming from the Nov. 25, 2014 incident at his ex-girlfriend's home in Wyoming.
Bruggink, who was living in Byron Center, was hired as a Grand Rapids police officer on June 16, 2014. The victim reported the assault on Dec. 1, 2014; Bruggink resigned the following day.
Michigan State Police handled the criminal investigation. Bruggink was charged on Jan. 27, 2015.
If convicted, Bruggink faces up to life in prison. Testimony will resume Wednesday. He remains free on bond.
Bruggink Sexual Assault Trial
WXMI FOX 17 News
March 23, 2016
Prosecution rests in sexual assault trial of former Grand Rapids police officer
WZZM News
March 25, 2016
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WZZM) - The prosecution rested its case today in the sexual assault trial of a former Grand Rapids police officer involving a woman he met on a dating site in 2014.
Jurors on Friday heard a taped interview between Ryan Bruggink and a Michigan State Police detective investigating the sexual assault complaint.
Bruggink, 25, said he had sex with the woman, conceding it was rough sex, but still consensual.
On Tuesday, the Wyoming woman testified that an intoxicated Bruggink forced his way into her home early on Nov. 25, 2014 and sexually assaulted her.
“I asked him if he knew what happened,’’ the woman testified on Tuesday. “He said he was very drunk and said yeah, we had consensual sex. And he was laughing.’’
During opening statements Tuesday, Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Jeff Kemperman told jurors the woman repeatedly told Bruggink not to stop by her house that night.
Bruggink, he said, ignores “one of the most fundamental rules that we have in the law. Quite simply? No means no.’’
Defense attorney William D. McCririe told jurors that Bruggink did visit the woman that night, but said the sex was consensual.
“This was a mutually beneficial rough sex relationship between these two people,’’ he said in opening statements. “Think about how many times have these people have done these very same things with each other.’’
Bruggink is charged with home invasion and three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. The trial before Kent County Circuit Court Judge Donald A. Johnston got underway this week.
Bruggink’s defense team will present its case to jurors on Monday. If convicted, Bruggink faces up to life in prison. He remains free on bond.
Verdict in for rookie cop accused of sexually assaulting ex-girlfriend
MLive
Mar. 29, 2016
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Former rookie cop Ryan Bruggink was convicted Tuesday, March 29, of third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a former girlfriend.
Jurors acquitted him of three other charges.
He was originally charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and home invasion. The jury found him guilty of a lesser-included third-degree charge.
Third-degree criminal sexual conduct carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
The trial began last Monday, March 22, before Kent County Circuit Judge Donald Johnston.
He ordered Bruggink, who testified in his own defense, remanded pending a May 3 sentencing hearing.
The woman said he barged into her Wyoming home on Nov. 24, 2014, and after rifling through her things, sexually assaulted her.
Bruggink denied sexually assaulting her and said sex was consensual. His attorneys say he passed five polygraph tests, which are inadmissible in court.
Bruggink worked for Grand Rapids Police Department for five months. He resigned after charges were filed in December 2014.
Ex-Grand Rapids cop guilty of lesser sex offense
WZZM News - Grand Rapids
March 29, 2016
A Kent County jury today cleared a former Grand Rapids police officer of the most serious charges he faced for the Dec. 2014 sexual assault of his former girlfriend, but found him guilty of a lesser felony that will still likely send him to prison.
A Kent County jury today cleared a former Grand Rapids police officer of the most serious charges he faced for the December 2014 sexual assault of his former girlfriend, but found him guilty of a lesser felony that will still likely send him to prison.
Ryan Bruggink was acquitted of home invasion and two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony that carries a maximum term of life in prison.
Jurors found him guilty of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, which involves sexual penetration by force or coercion. It carries a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison.
The guilty verdict was tied to a sex act that led the 29-year-old victim to order Bruggink from her home on Nov. 25, 2014 after the two had engaged in other sex acts.
Kent County Circuit Court Judge Donald A. Johnston ordered Bruggink held in the Kent County Jail until he is sentenced on May 3.
Today's verdict caps a trial that entered its second week on Monday with graphic detail of the sexual encounters between Bruggink and his accuser over the course of their 11-month relationship.
Bruggink took the stand in his own defense, telling jurors he and his accuser “pushed the boundaries’’ in their sexual relationship.
He referred to the single, 29-year-old mother of three as “mommy’’ and gave lurid testimony about sharing “rough sex’’ during myriad “booty calls’’ at the woman’s home in Wyoming.
“It was a very sexual relationship, that’s mainly what we did the whole entire time,’’ he testified on the fifth day of his jury trial for home invasion and first-degree criminal sexual conduct. “We were always pushing the boundaries.’’
Bruggink estimates they had sex “99 percent of the time’’ they got together. Boundaries were few; their sexual exploits included spanking, spitting, choking and handcuffs.
But Bruggink denied the prosecution’s assertion he forced his way into the woman’s house on Nov. 25, 2014 and raped her.
During opening statements last week, Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Jeff Kemperman told jurors the woman repeatedly told Bruggink not to stop by her house that night.
Bruggink, he said, ignores “one of the most fundamental rules that we have in the law. Quite simply? No means no.’’
Defense attorney William D. McCririe told jurors that Bruggink did visit the woman that night, but said the sex was consensual.
“This was a mutually beneficial rough sex relationship between these two people,’’ he said in opening statements. “Think about how many times have these people have done these very same things with each other.’’
Ex-GRPD officer facing child porn charges
WOOD TV News
Apr 4, 2016
A former Grand Rapids police officer convicted of a criminal sex charge for assaulting his ex-girlfriend is now facing child porn charges.
Why former cop now faces child porn charge after sex offense conviction
MLive
Apr. 06, 2016
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Authorities say Ryan Bruggink, a former Grand Rapids police officer convicted last month of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, obtained and then passed along pornographic pictures of a 17-year-old girl.
The alleged actions of Bruggink on Aug. 1, 2014 have brought a new round of trouble as prosecutors filed charges of making child sexually abusive material, using a computer to commit a crime and possessing sexually abusive material.
He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted, and that would be tacked on to any sentence for the rape of a former girlfriend that carries a maximum of 15 years in prison.
Police said Kent County prosecutors discovered the child porn while investigating the sex offense.
Michigan State Police trooper William Coon testified before Grand Rapids District Judge Jeanine LaVille that the teen girl sent several pornographic images to Bruggink on his cell phone, records show.
Authorities "located some photographs and learned he actually had a relationship with her when she was 17." Coon told LaVille that Bruggink used his phone to distribute the images.
He faces an 8:30 a.m. April 21 probable cause hearing on the allegations.
A jury last week found Bruggink guilty of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, a lesser offense than the original charges of three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and home invasion.
The victim, a former girlfriend, said he barged into her Wyoming home on Nov. 24, 2014, and after rifling through her things, sexually assaulted her. Bruggink denied sexually assaulting her and said sex was consensual.
Bruggink worked for Grand Rapids Police Department for five months. He resigned after charges were filed in December 2014.
Former Grand Rapids PD Officer Ryan James Bruggink - CSC Sentence
Michigan Department Of Corrections
May 03, 2016
Ryan Bruggink speaks at sentencing
WOOD TV News
May 3, 2016
Ex-GRPD officer Ryan Bruggink speaks during his sex assault sentencing.
Ex-GRPD officer sobs during sex assault sentencing
WOOD TV News
May 3, 2016
A former Grand Rapids police officer convicted of sexually assaulting his ex is going to prison.
‘Please have mercy on me' sobbing ex-cop asks judge during sentencing
WZZM News
May 03, 2016
Former Grand Rapids police officer Ryan James Bruggink tearfully apologized for sexually assaulting his former girlfriend, asking the sentencing judge Tuesday to “please have mercy on me.’’
Kent County Circuit Court Judge Donald Johnston acknowledged Bruggink’s otherwise crime-free past, but said public servants like police officers need to be held to a higher standard.
“I think society has a right to expect a higher moral, ethical and legal conduct of its public officials,’’ Johnston said. “You clearly violated these standards and your behavior falls below an acceptable level of a person entrusted with the office which you then held.’’
He ordered Bruggink to serve between 2 and 15 years in prison.
A visibly shaken Bruggink had trouble addressing the court between sobs and at one point referred to the judge as “father’’ before correcting himself.
“I want to apologize to everyone who has gone through this,’’ Bruggink said through sobs. “My intentions that night were never to hurt anybody or do anything illegal. And I just ask that you please have mercy on me.’’
Family members openly wept and called out “we love you’’ as Bruggink was led from court.
A Kent County jury found him guilty of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, which involves sexual penetration by force or coercion. It carries a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison. Sentencing guidelines recommended a minimum term of between 15 and 25 months.
Bruggink, 25, was acquitted of the most serious charges -- home invasion and first-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony that carries a maximum term of life in prison.
The March 29 verdict capped a two-week trial that included graphic detail of the sexual encounters between Bruggink and his accuser during the course of their 11-month relationship.
Bruggink took the stand in his own defense, telling jurors he and his accuser “pushed the boundaries’’ in their sexual relationship.
He referred to the single, 29-year-old mother of three as “mommy’’ and gave lurid testimony about sharing “rough sex’’ during myriad “booty calls’’ at the woman’s home in Wyoming.
“It was a very sexual relationship, that’s mainly what we did the whole entire time,’’ he testified on the fifth day of his jury trial for home invasion and first-degree criminal sexual conduct. “We were always pushing the boundaries.’’
Bruggink estimates they had sex “99 percent of the time’’ they got together. Boundaries were few; their sexual exploits included spanking, spitting, choking and handcuffs.
But Bruggink denied the prosecution’s assertion he forced his way into the woman’s house on Nov. 25, 2014 and raped her.
Days after his conviction, the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office authorized three felony warrants against Bruggink for pornographic images sent to his phone by a 17-year-old girl.
The teen sent the images to Bruggink over a three-month period in 2014, which authorities say he shared with others.
He waived a probable cause hearing last week on charges of possession of child sexually abusive material, a four-year felony, along with using a computer to commit a crime and child sexually abusive activity, both 20-year felonies.
The case will likely be assigned to Johnston, who presided over the sexual assault trial.
Former police officer gets prison for sexually assaulting ex-girlfriend
MLive
May 03, 2016
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Former Grand Rapids Police Officer Ryan Bruggink broke down in tears during an apology in court in the moments before he was sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting an ex-girlfriend.
Bruggink, 25, was convicted in March of third-degree criminal sexual conduct after a trial in Kent County Circuit Court. Prosecutors said he barged into the woman's Wyoming home in November 2014 after drinking, rifled through her things and then sexually assaulted her.
During his sentencing Tuesday, May 3, he offered a tearful apology.
He said he never meant to hurt anybody or do anything illegal.
"I should never have drank and drove over that night...that was unacceptable," he told Judge Donald Johnston, gasping for breath at times.
He said he should have shown better judgment.
"I just ask that you have mercy on me," he said.
Johnston then sentenced Bruggink to two to 15 years in prison.
The judge said Bruggink's status as a police officer at the time -- Bruggink resigned after charges were filed in December 2014 -- means he should be held to a higher standard.
"I think society has a right to expect higher moral, ethical and legal conduct of its public officials," he said.
"You clearly violated those standards and your behavior fell below an acceptable level for a person entrusted with that responsibility," Johnston said.
The victim of Bruggink's assault was in the courtroom for the sentencing, but did not give a statement. Instead, she submitted a letter to the judge.
At trial, prosecutors sought convictions for two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and home invasion, but the jury returned a verdict for a lesser charge of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Prosecutors filed charges of making child sexually abusive material, using a computer to commit a crime and possessing sexually abusive material from Bruggink's alleged actions of Bruggink on Aug. 1, 2014.
Ryan Bruggink sentencing
MLive
May 6, 2016
Former Grand Rapids police officer Ryan Bruggink is sentenced for sex assault.
Former Grand Rapids rookie cop, imprisoned for sex assault, pleads in child porn case
MLive
Jun. 15, 2016
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Former Grand Rapids police officer Ryan Bruggink, already serving a prison term for sexually assaulting an ex-girlfriend, has pleaded guilty to a child pornography charge.
Bruggink, 25, admitted to having nude images of a 17-year-old girl during a court hearing Wednesday, June 15. He was once in a relationship with her and she sent him photos, which he then allegedly shared with others via a cell phone.
Bruggink was sentenced in May to two to 15 years in prison for third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving an ex-girlfriend.
Prosecutors said he barged into the woman's Wyoming home in November 2014 after drinking, rifled through her things and then sexually assaulted her.
Prosecutors filed the child-porn charge in early April, just a week after Bruggink was convicted by a jury on the sex-assault charge.
Bruggink worked for the Grand Rapids Police Department for five months. He resigned after charges were filed in December 2014.
During Thursday's hearing, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child sexually abusive material and one count of using a computer to commit a crime.
He is to be sentenced July 5.
Ex-cop already in prison pleads guilty to possessing child porn
WZZM News - Grand Rapids
June 15, 2016
Former Grand Rapids police officer Ryan James Bruggink, already in prison for sexually assaulting his former girlfriend, pleaded guilty Wednesday to two criminal charges involving a separate victim.
Bruggink pleaded guilty to possession of child sexually-abusive material and an amended count of using a computer to commit a crime.
In exchange for his pleas, the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office agreed to dismiss charges of child sexually-abusive commercial activity and a more serious count of using a computer to commit crime that carries a 20-year penalty.
Kent County Circuit Court Judge Donald A. Johnston in May sentenced Bruggink to between 2 and 15 years in prison for third-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Under today's plea, prosecutors have agreed to let Bruggink serve sentences in both cases at the same time. He’ll be back in Johnston's court for sentencing July 5.
Days after his conviction, the prosecutor’s office authorized three felony warrants against Bruggink for pornographic images sent to his phone by a 17-year-old girl.
The teen sent images to Bruggink over a three-month period in 2014, which authorities say he shared with others.
During his sentencing in May, Johnston acknowledged Bruggink’s otherwise crime-free past, but said public servants like police officers need to be held to a higher standard.
“I think society has a right to expect a higher moral, ethical and legal conduct of its public officials,’’ Johnston said. “You clearly violated these standards and your behavior falls below an acceptable level of a person entrusted with the office which you then held.’’
A Kent County jury found Bruggink guilty of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, which involves sexual penetration by force or coercion. Sentencing guidelines recommended a minimum term of between 15 and 25 months.
Bruggink, 25, was acquitted of the most serious charges -- home invasion and first-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony that carries a maximum term of life in prison.
The March 29 verdict capped a two-week trial that included graphic detail of the sexual encounters between Bruggink and his accuser during the course of their 11-month relationship.
Bruggink is being held at Pugsley Correctional Facility in Grand Traverse County. He’s eligible for release in March, 2018.
Ryan James Bruggink - Registered Sex Offender
Michigan Sex Offender Registry
