GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.-- For the first time, the attorney for the former Grand Rapids police officer accused of raping his ex-girlfriend is speaking out.
On Wednesday, Ryan Bruggink appeared in a Wyoming courtroom for a preliminary conference. He's accused of pushing his way into his ex-girlfriend's home and raping her in the early morning hours of Nov. 25, 2014.
Scott Grabel, Bruggink's attorney, said the victim in this case isn't telling the truth.
"Come to the prelim next week, watch the testimony and I think you'll see this thing in a different light than it was initially reported," Grabel said. "We're very anxious for our side of the story to come out in this case."
The accusations show a much different side of the officer than previous reports. In October, FOX 17 interviewed Bruggink after he helped a deer that was trapped inside a baseball field in Grand Rapids.
Bruggink, who was an officer at the department at the time of the alleged incident, was suspended on Dec. 1, 2014. He resigned one day later.
"I don't think it was an admission of guilt. I assure you it wasn't," Grabel said.
Rather, Grabel said Bruggink chose to leave the force because he was a probationary employee.
"You know mandatorily you're going to be suspended and when you're a probationary officer, pretty much I think at that point it's going to be hard to get your job back even if you're vindicated," Grabel said.
Bruggink will be back in court on Wednesday, March 11.
