Michigan mom who pulled gun on man who assaulted her daughter gets probation

BRANCH COUNTY, Mich. – The 43-year-old mother of a Michigan sexual assault victim will be on probation for 18 months for brandishing a gun toward the teen who pleaded guilty to assaulting the girl.

Police said the woman, who is not named to protect the identity of her daughter, was driving through Coldwater, Michigan, about 120 miles southwest of Detroit, on Oct. 22 when she saw a 19-year-old man at a city park.

The woman got out of her car, pulled out a purple Glock, 9mm pistol and confronted the man at the park.

The 19-year-old was accused in the summer of assaulting the woman's teenage daughter and the woman called 911 while she was at the park, insisting there was a warrant for the man's arrest.

The investigation by the Branch County Sheriff's Office was not yet completed at the time. Coldwater Police arrested the mother and not Trader. She initially was charged with felonious assault, which were later reduced to a misdemeanor brandishing a weapon in a plea bargain.

The woman received an admonishment from Circuit Judge Bill O’Grady during her sentencing hearing this week, when O'Grady noted the number of children in the area.

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“There's never been a time where I have driven through that part of the city to not see it filled with young people playing soccer, children at the small pocket park,” O'Grady said. “Do you understand (that) all it would have taken as one accidental random trigger pull? You could have inadvertently killed some little boy across the street or some teenage boy playing soccer.”

The woman told O'Grady she was "deeply and profoundly sorry" for her actions.

"I have learned a lot. I should have let law enforcement handle the situation," she said. "It was inappropriate for my emotions to get the best of me.”

The judge imposed a 90-day jail sentence, but suspended the additional time she would need to serve beyond the initial two days. The woman forfeited her gun and must not possess a weapon during probation.

In the sex-assault case, the 19 year old entered a guilty plea to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, a high court misdemeanor. He will be sentenced April 17, and is guaranteed probation under the Holmes Youthful Training Act with no up-front jail.

— Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DReidTDR.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Michigan mother sentenced for brandishing gun at daughter's attacker