Distraught that his business partner had just committed suicide, Patrick Colligan refused to leave the area when ordered to do so by a Michigan State Trooper.
However, he never once crossed the police line where officers were investigating the suicide of his partner, who was going to be arrested that afternoon for a murder he allegedly committed.
In fact, Colligan, who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon, even handed the Trooper his gun when ordered to do so.
But when he pulled out a video camera and started filming, he refused to hand that over, according MLive.com, a conglomeration of regional newspapers in Michigan.
Colligan then began videotaping from N. Meridian Road. Green told Colligan to hand over the camera and Colligan refused. A short struggle for the camera ensued in a ditch, Green testified.
Moments later, Colligan was placed in handcuffs, which he resisted, Green said.
The prosecution contends Colligan’s failure to follow orders hindered Green from doing his job at the crime scene.
The incident occurred Dec. 17th in Jackson County. Last week, a Michigan judge bound the case over for trial.
Now Colligan is facing up to two years in prison for felony resisting and obstructing an officer.
However, even the arresting officer contends that Colligan never crossed the police line and remained at least 200 feet from the driveway where his partner had committed suicide.
Here is an interesting comment someone left in the comments section of the article:
I was in the courtroom, why does the prosecutor want to suppress the police video (from the police car)? Were the police acting unprofessionally? Does it show that Patrick wasn’t resisting as they claim? What is wrong with video taping from that distance? It wasn’t a long distance lens or anything if it was in his coat pocket and they didn’t notice it until he had it in his hands. I think the police were in the wrong here and it’s hard to believe that the court is willing to spend money on taking this case to court. It should have been dismissed or charges lowered to loitering or something. Is there a law against video taping, picture taking or otherwise recording at a “crime scene”? If there is an actual law then why isn’t it publicly known? Don’t newspaper and television journalists do this on a daily basis? If so, why aren’t they prosecuted? If filming isn’t allowed then how did the picture of the scene get on the news and in the paper? It wasn’t from Patrick’s camera since the office on the stand doesn’t know where that is right now! This entire case is junk and should be dropped.
His business partner, Todd Sanford, was a former State Trooper cop who allegedly shot and killed corrections officer Steven Sampier last November over a woman they were both dating.
I hope she was worth it.