Christopher Gerou, 35, of Dorr, accused of seriously injuring an Allegan County sheriff’s deputy trying to arrest him Monday during a traffic stop, has been charged with five felonies, including attempted murder.
Allegan County Prosecutor Myrene Koch, at his arraignment Wednesday, asked for a $100,000 bond, citing the seriousness of the charges, adding that the deputy, Dillon Kibby, was “severely injured” with “significant head trauma.”
Gerou has a record as a habitual offender, the prosecutor said. “We do believe that Mr. Gerou, based on all of this, would be a significant flight risk and there is nothing that would be tying him to the Allegan County area,” Koch said.
“That is not true,” Gerou, appearing in court from jail via video call, replied, according the WOOD-TV Channel 8. He said he has lived in the Allegan area his entire life.
“Sir, I recognize your name. That’s what I mean by knowing you’re from here,” Attorney Magistrate Daniel Norbeck said.
Gerou’s court-appointed defense attorney said he has family and friends in the area and said that he had been employed. Koch said Gerou told investigators he was recently fired.
Norbeck acknowledged the seriousness of the case, but maintained that Gerou has not had a criminal conviction since 2014. Koch said that was because he spent eight years in prison.
“I haven’t been in trouble … since I got out,” Gerou said.
“He has no abscondings on his record, either,” Norbeck said.
“And I am a very good worker,” Gerou said.
Norbeck set Gerou’s bond at $10,000.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Frank Baker commented on Kibby’s medical condition,
“We are happy to be able to report that we are seeing improvement. We’ve been updated regularly and he is starting to show some type of improvement over his condition that night,” Baker said.
He said the deputy has been on the force for two years and previously served as military police in the U.S. Navy.
“The deputy has done a great job for us. We are proud of the efforts that he has put in,” he said.
Kibby was summoned to a neighborhood in the area of 142nd Avenue and 16th Street in Dorr Township on a report that someone was driving back and forth at a high rate of speed without headlights. Baker said the deputy found Gerou outside his home and called for backup after noting Gerou was agitated and likely drunk.
A Michigan State Police trooper soon arrived.
The Allegan County Sheriff’s Office said the deputy suffered a fractured skull and a brain bleed. He remained in the hospital Wednesday
“(The deputy) went to place the individual under arrest, at which time the suspect then struck him and created a head injury that resulted in him being incapacitated,” Baker told News 8. “To the point where the state trooper, who was on scene fortunately, was able to take over and actually effect the arrest.”
According to a probable cause document filed with the court, after Gerou admitted to driving to the end of his driveway to get his mail, the deputy gave him a roadside sobriety test and Gerou then refused to take a portable breath test.
The deputy told Gerou he was under arrest but Gerou started walking away, the document says.
“(The deputy) attempted to grab Gerou’s wrist at which point Gerou abruptly turned around and struck (the deputy) with his right arm in the head/neck, rendering him unconscious as he fell to the driveway,” the document says.
When the MSP trooper tried to grab Gerou’s wrist, he again pulled off and used an expletive, the court document says. The trooper pulled his Taser and Gerou gave it up.
“While Gerou was laying on the ground at taser-point he stated, ‘I hope he’s dead’ referring to (the deputy) who was still laying unconscious on the driveway and was later found to be bleeding from the back of his head,” the document says.
Baker said his department is familiar with Gerou’s house — deputies have been called there before. A neighbor recalled seeing deputies at the house “a couple time that I know of this year alone.”“
The neighbor, Dee Longstreet, said, “I was worried about the kids in the neighborhood that ride their bikes and stuff down the street. I thought, my gosh, he is going to hit one of these kids if they’re out playing.”
Gerou was discharged from the Michigan Department of Corrections in August 2022 after serving about eight years in prison for assault by strangulation, online records show. MDOC records show he previously served time for assaulting a police officer in 2007 and for home invasion and marijuana convictions in 2010. Court records show he has prior arrests for assaulting a prison employee and domestic violence.
Gerou is scheduled to appear in court for a probable cause conference Thursday, Sept. 21, and again for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
Magistrate Norbeck’s setting a laughingly low bond of $10,000 for this attack. What’s the message? Its open season on law enforcement in Allegan County Sheriff Department road patrol officers?
To sit on the bench and state the accused Mr Gerou hasn’t been in trouble for over 8 years and set a $10,000 cash bond ignoring the fact Gerou was in a MI state prison from 2014 to 2022 serving 8 years for assault that included strangling the victim should be a concern for anyone who expects competent decisions from this Allegan County Magistrate.
Why was Mr Gerou brought before a magistrate instead of an Allegan County Judge for such a serious offense? Secondly who is or was the Allegan County Judge who appointed Mr. Norbeck and what were his qualifications to be a county magistrate?
Magistrate Norbeck’s logic in this case is troubling. We’re not talking traffic court where you show up for being ticketed for speeding, seat belt or othe minor violations.
The deputy who pulled him over Mr Gerou is hospitalized with a brain bleed caused by the beating Mr Gerou gave the deputy. Then according to reports stated Mr Gerou say he hoped the beaten deputy was dead. Sounds like attempted murder.
That’s damned serious stuff yet Norbeck overruled the prosecutor’s request of a $100,000 to $10,000. Is it Mr Gerou isn’t really a danger because he’s only severely beaten one person after his release from prison for another violent assault less than 24 months ago?
Not a good look for Allegan County’ Courts.
Very well said. There is a great majority of us who have never assaulted anyone, let alone nearly killing a police officer ever. So to get treated with kid gloves because this individual was able to go 8 whole years without attempted murder is disgusting.