Man accused of killing Firefighter Dennis Rodeman at MDA boot drive was upset with slow traffic
Matt Mencarini, Lansing State Journal:
Grant Taylor told police he struck a firefighter with his pickup truck after he became angry with firefighters who were collecting donations and slowing down traffic, according to court records.
He honked his horn and threw an apple core at Lansing Firefighter Dennis Rodeman before driving away, turning around and running down Rodeman in the street, according to testimony from a Lansing police detective.
The Lansing 22-year-old, who has a history of mental illness, is charged with murder,failing to stop at the scene of a personal injury accident causing death and two counts of third degree fleeing and eluding in Rodeman’s death. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
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“At no time during his conversation did (Taylor) express any remorse,” McCallister said. “Nor did he ask the condition of the victim.”
Taylor’s mother, Karen Taylor, petitioned Ingham County Probate Court twice in the past two years to involuntarily hospitalize him for mental health reasons, the newspaper reported, citing court records. Psychiatrists who evaluated Taylor diagnosed him with psychosis and bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses.
Visitation for Rodeman is Tuesday at a Lansing funeral home, and his funeral is Wednesday at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center in East Lansing.
