A Warren city councilman accused of chasing down and handcuffing a woman who put Black Lives Matter stickers on yard signs for then-President Donald Trump has pleaded no contest to a lesser offense.
Warren City Councilman Edward Kabacinski entered the plea Monday in 38th District Court in Eastpointe, the day his case was scheduled for a jury trial.
Charges were authorized against Kabacinski, 48, in October 2020. A charge of impersonating a public officer, a one-year misdemeanor, was reduced to disturbing the peace, according to court records. A 93-day misdemeanor assault and battery charge was dismissed.
Judge Kathleen Galen sentenced Kabacinski to 12 months of probation with conditions, including anger management classes and no similar conduct or assaultive behavior, in addition to $1,055 in fines and costs.
Kabacinski's attorney, Stephen Rabaut, said the plea was taken under a section of the Michigan criminal code that allows for a delayed sentence. If Kabacinski does what he is required to do, the charge can be dismissed. The judge said she would review the matter in six months, Rabaut said........
In October 2020, Kabacinski was investigated for his actions while attending a Trump rally in Eastpointe. St. Clair Shores police said when they arrived at Stephens and Kelly they found a Trump rally attendee had handcuffed a woman. An officer immediately took the woman out of the handcuffs, according to a police report.
Police said the then-24-year-old Eastpointe woman was chased down and handcuffed by Kabacinski after she stuck three Black Lives Matter stickers on the Trump signs that were placed along the boulevard. When Kabacinski grabbed the woman, she sprayed him with Silly String, according to the report.
It stated Kabacinski handcuffed her with her hands to the rear and sat her next to him until police arrived.
Kabacinski told C&G Newspapers he detained the woman because she acted to "breach the peace" by putting a 5-by-8-inch Black Lives Matter sticker on a Trump-Pence sign. He claimed he is a former military police officer and federal law allows him to detain those who breach the peace or break the law.........
.......Last month, Kabacinski was in an accident on I-696 that he said he and his campaign manager concluded was a targeted attack by those associated with the Democratic Party because of his political views. Michigan State Police told the Macomb Daily there was no indication the accident was intentional. The other driver was speeding.......