GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A former Rockford police officer accused of filing a false police report has taken a plea deal.
Court documents show Aaron Sawyer pleaded guilty to filing a false police report in connection to a hit-and-run crash in Ottawa County. As part of the plea deal, sentencing for Sawyer is delayed for six months.
In February, Sawyer was sentenced in Ottawa County to nine months on probation after pleading guilty to failing to stop at the scene of a hit-and-run crash.
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If Sawyer successfully completes his probation sentence in that case, the case against him for filing a false police report in Grand Rapids will be dropped.
The hit-and-run crash happened at the intersection of Baldwin Street and 28th Avenue in Georgetown Township.
Deputies say two vehicles were involved, but one of the vehicles involved left the scene prior to the arrival of deputies. That vehicle was driven by Sawyer.
According to a report, Sawyer claims his patrol SUV was hit at the intersection of Scribner and Leonard in Grand Rapids around 6:30 a.m. on Dec. 9.
In the report, Sawyer claims he had the green light that morning when a dark pickup truck ran a red light right by the Mercantile Bank near there and hit him.
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After reviewing surveillance video from nearby businesses, GRPD ruled: "The camera footage refutes Sawyer's report of a crash at this location and time. The damage to the Ford Explorer clearly occurred elsewhere."
Sawyer originally pleaded not guilty to filing a false report.
At the time of the crash, Sawyer was a lieutenant with the Rockford Police Department. He was placed on administrative leave shortly after the crash and later resigned.
