Daily Briefs

Victim sues officer accused of assaulting her after arrest

COVERT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A civil rights lawsuit has been filed against a former southwestern Michigan police officer accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman he arrested for drunken driving.

Attorneys sued Friday in western Michigan’s U.S. District Court against Erich Fritz on behalf of the victim, Melissa McMillan. She was arrested in July 2016 in Van Buren County’s Covert Township, also named in the suit.

Fritz took her to a hotel, where, McMillan alleges, he assaulted her. He pleaded no contest to unlawful imprisonment last year and was sentenced to a year in jail. Criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping charges were dropped.

The Associated Press typically doesn’t publish sexual assault victims’ names but McMillan has publicly identified herself.

The AP couldn’t reach Fritz for comment.

His criminal defense attorney, Scott Grabel, doesn’t represent Fritz in the civil case but has reviewed it. Grabel says there appears to be different facts and allegations in the two cases.

USA Gymnastics appoints 5 athletes to task force

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — USA Gymnastics has appointed five retired athletes to a task force to help the organization chart its course after the Larry Nassar sex-abuse scandal.

Ivana Hong, Steven Legendre, Jazzy Kerber, Leigh Hennessy Robson and Shenea Booth were named to the task force on Friday. Up to four more athletes will be named later. They’ll offer input on the organization’s new high-performance center after the closing of the Karolyi Ranch, the longtime training center where a number of Olympians said they were molested by Nassar.

The task force was one of new CEO Kerry Perry’s top priorities when she assumed leadership of the federation, which has seen a complete overhaul of its board in the wake of the scandal.

The task force allows USAG to bring in a wider variety of members than those on the USAG Athletes’ Council, which could only appoint athletes who have been out of the sport for 10 years or less.

Perry said she’d like to see a larger cross-section of ex-athletes in decision-making roles.

11th Annual Pryder Cup golf outing August 9

The Wayne County Probate Bar Association vs Macomb County Probate Bar Association 2018 Pryder Cup competition will be held Thursday, August 9 at Lochmoor Club in Grosse Pointe Woods. This competition is limited to the first 12 golfers who sign up. Arrive by 11 a.m. for lunch, followed by a 12:30 tee time.

The format is based on the Ryder Cup competition, in that two golfers from Wayne County will compete against two golfers from Macomb County,
based upon handicaps using a combination of best ball, scramble and every other shot format.

The winner of the team “competition” will be able to designate the charity to whom all profits from the outing will be donated. Participants will be teamed on day of outing. The cost for the outing is $125 per person, which includes golf, cart, lunch, and heavy hors d’oeuvres after golf. To register,send your name, phone number, estimated handicap for 18 holes, and your check (payable to Walter Sakowski) to Walter Sakowski, 15244 Middlebelt, Livonia, Michigan 48154. For more information, call Sakowski at (734) 525-2677.

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