Michigan man being held for allegedly causing a Toledo police officer to crash his motorcycle

10/6/2012

A Michigan man is being held in the Lucas County jail today for allegedly purposely causing a Toledo police officer to crash the motorcycle he was driving Friday afternoon.

Edward Wechtel, 59, of 1022 Feltis Dr., Temperance, was ordered to be held in the jail in lieu of $100,000 bond for one count of felonious assault.

Toledo police reported, in a prepared statement and court documents, that Officer Rick Fisher was on patrol near Monroe and Auburn when he stopped the victim for a red light violation. Once the citation was issued, the suspect reportedly pulled away, squealing his tires and accelerating, police said.

Officer Fisher and a second officer went after the suspect again, reporting that the suspect was speeding. The suspect "suddenly slammed on his brakes." Officer Fisher hit the back of the vehicle; the other officer "narrowly" missed the vehicle, police said.

Officer Fisher, a 12-year veteran of the department, was taken to Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center for facial and "other possible injuries," police said.

A hospital operator said on Saturday morning she had no information about a person by Officer Fisher's name.

According to documents filed in Toledo Municipal Court, the suspect allegedly applied the breaks in his vehicle "deliberately and intentionally" to cause Toledo police Officer Rick Fisher to crash into the back of the vehicle while on a department-owned motorcycle. The defendant allegedly "admitted he intentionally caused the officer to collide into the rear of his vehicle," police reported in the court document.

The crash happened in the 3400 block of Monroe Street about 2:45 p.m.