SAGINAW, MI — In March, Saginaw resident Vance D. Martin was pulled over by Michigan State Police troopers after reportedly speeding and running two stop signs. In the following half-hour or so, things would escalate to the point that a trooper repeatedly punched a handcuffed Martin in the face.

Months on, two MSP troopers and two Saginaw Police Department officers are facing criminal charges stemming from their interaction with Martin.

While video footage of the incident recorded by a civilian bystander was previously published on MLive, the Saginaw Police Department has now released footage recorded by its officers.

Via a Freedom of Information Act request, MLive-The Saginaw News obtained four videos totaling about 90 minutes. The cumulative footage was recorded by cameras worn by Saginaw Police Officers Jordan Engelhart and Dominic Vasquez and their vehicles’ dashboard-mounted cameras.

The footage begins with Engelhart and Vasquez arriving on the scene of a traffic stop initiated by MSP troopers in the 2300 block of Annesley Street about 7:15 p.m. on March 28. Already stopped by troopers is a red Pontiac Grand Am, with 47-year-old Martin — the driver — already standing outside the car, his wrists cuffed behind his back as troopers search him.

Engelhart instructs an adult male passenger to exit the car, then handcuffs him as well.

As this occurs, Martin repeatedly asks why he was stopped and professes his innocence of any wrongdoing.

“They ain’t got no bodycam or nothing,” Martin says, referring to the troopers.

“I got a bodycam, boss,” Engelhart tells him. “You’re alright.”

Engelhart then searches the Pontiac’s passenger, removing items from his pockets. Meanwhile, MSP Troopers Bram L. Schroeder and Zachary W. Tebedo try putting Martin in the backseat of one of their patrol cars, with Tebedo holding a Taser toward Martin while doing so.

Engelhart encourages Martin to get in the car as he resists, assuring him everything is on camera.

“Get in the car, man,” one officer says.

“I’m about to, but this guy about to—”

Schroeder then punches Martin once squarely in his face, causing him to drop to the ground, his knees buckled beneath him.

Martin loudly groans as officers ask him about his breathing. Officers also radio for medical personnel to come to the scene.

Moments later, Vasquez stands beside Martin as he’s seated on the ground, leaning against the rear passenger-side tire of the MSP patrol car. Vasquez speaks with him, offering to help him stand. Vasquez assures him his bodycam is on.

“I’m with the city police,” Vasquez says. “This ain’t my gig, bro. I’m here, if you want help, I’ll help you. If you want help up, I’ll help you up.”

Martin asks Vasquez to let him out of the handcuffs but the officer replies he cannot do that. After several minutes, Vasquez and a trooper hoist Martin to his feet and lean him against the side of the patrol car.

Several minutes after Schroeder punches Martin, Mobile Medical Response personnel arrive and speak with Martin. He expresses confusion but declines their offer to take him to a hospital.

Officers then resume trying to get Martin in their car as he repeatedly shouts he does not know what’s going on.

“This (expletive) trying to kill me,” Martin yells, after which Schroeder punches him two or three more times in his face. This second round of punches happens about 14 minutes after Schroeder first punches Martin.

Martin again falls to the ground and continues shouting to civilian bystanders. The officers then place Martin in the back of the patrol car.

Police reports previously obtained by MLive from the MSP via the Freedom of Information Act state troopers noticed the Pontiac turn onto eastbound Annesley Street at a high rate of speed. Troopers’ radar indicated the Pontiac was going 46 mph in a 25-mph zone, their reports state.

Troopers pulled over the Pontiac in the 2300 block of Annesley Street after Martin failed to stop at two stop signs. Troopers wrote in their reports that Martin was uncooperative, failing to provide identification or step out of the Pontiac.

Police searched the Pontiac and found open bottles of Michelob Ultra and Seagram’s Extra Smooth Vodka. Troopers wrote in their reports that Martin had bloodshot eyes, smelled strongly of intoxicants, had slurred speech, was lethargic, and displayed severe mood swings, leading them to believe he was intoxicated. They were unable to administer a preliminary Breathalyzer test to Martin at the scene.

Martin slept in the troopers’ car as they drove him to Covenant HealthCare for an evaluation and a chemical blood draw. The results of the blood draw have not been made public.

The MSP’s Professional Standards Section investigated the matter, with Schroeder being placed on paid administrative leave on March 29 and Tebedo placed on leave Aug. 23. The Saginaw County Prosecutor’s Office on April 26 received the investigation report, which it then forwarded to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, requesting a special prosecutor take the case. The AG’s Office accepted the case in early May.

On Aug. 31, Schroeder, Tebedo, Engelhart, and Vasquez appeared in Saginaw County District Court for arraignment. Schroeder is charged with misconduct in office and aggravated assault. The former is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, while the latter is a one-year misdemeanor.

Tebedo, Engelhart, and Vasquez each face one count of neglect of duty, also a one-year misdemeanor.

Engelhart and Vasquez remain on duty, with their chief and colleagues voicing their support of them.

“I stand behind my officers 100%,” Saginaw Police Chief Robert M. Ruth has said. “I’m sure they’ll be vindicated of this as we go down the road.”

Detective Phil Graves, president of the Saginaw Police Officers Association, has said the union is standing behind Engelhart and Vasquez.

“We’ve had contact with various community leaders and they’re all on the same page we are — our guys are not deserving of this,” Graves said during a Sept. 1 press conference. “We want to make the record clear our guys are not the ones who committed this assault. None of our officers or board members agree with what (Schroeder) did.”

The Saginaw Police Department conducted an internal investigation, concluding its officers did not violate any policies or procedures. Engelhart and Vasquez followed their training, Graves has said.

“They attempted a lot of de-escalation techniques,” he has said. “They performed medical aid. They contacted medical. They contacted supervisors. They wrote reports. They followed our policies for what we are supposed to do in these types of situations.”

Regarding the prosecution’s allegation that Engelhart and Vasquez did not intervene, Graves said they had no opportunity to do so.

“It was fast and it came out of nowhere,” Graves said of the assault. “They can’t read (Schroeder)’s mind. I don’t think the opportunity presented itself properly. Had it been a continuous type of assault, absolutely I think they would have intervened, without question. It happened, it ended.”

Terry Pruitt, Saginaw NAACP Branch President, who has watched the video footage with other community leaders, has said the overall feeling among viewers was that Schroeder’s actions warranted charges, but Tebedo’s and the Saginaw officers’ did not.

“Based on my personal view, I didn’t see anything the Saginaw officers did that would be in violation of policies or rules,” Pruitt has said.

Pastor Robert Davis Jr. of the Saginaw Citizens Advisory Committee, who also viewed the video footage, described the incident as an unfortunate situation.

“It’s unfortunate because Mr. Martin is clearly handcuffed and to be assaulted by this state trooper, that’s out of line and certainly distasteful,” Davis said. “What I’m seeing with what happened in that situation, the trooper was not, to me, properly prepared to handle this moment. The city police officers, from what I’ve seen and I’m limited on everything that happened, they appeared to be just giving assistance. Of course, it appears they’re blindsided by what occurred. We’re just waiting to see the outcome.”

Martin has not been charged with a crime related to the March 28 matter.

Schroeder is to appear for a preliminary examination at 9 a.m. on Nov. 3. The cases of Tebedo, Vasquez, and Engelhart are set for pre-trial hearings Oct. 20.

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