Saline man pleads guilty to disorderly conduct after he and his teenage children scuffled with officers

By Art Aisner AnnArbor.com Freelance Journalist

Posted on Mon, Aug 16, 2010 : 9:18 a.m.

A Saline man pleaded guilty to reduced charges after scuffling with police officers who arrested his son on suspicion of breaking into vehicles.

Timothy Murphy, 41, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct for his role in the July 30 confrontation with officers and Huron Valley Ambulance paramedics outside the Saline Police Department.

The misdemeanor offense is punishable by up to 93 days in jail. Prosecutors agreed to drop two felony counts of resisting and obstructing police, court records show.

Police reports said Murphy arrived at the department shortly after officers notified him his 15-year-old son was in custody and was headed to the hospital for an evaluation. The boy complained about feeling ill after he repeatedly struck his head against the patrol car window, causing more than $800 damage to the window and door frame. He was not seriously injured.

The elder Murphy was intoxicated, belligerent, and repeated yelled for his son's release as they loaded him into the ambulance, reports said. His 13-year-old daughter was with him and also became unruly, reports said.

An officer used chemical spray to restrain both of them. Murphy's daughter was taken to juvenile detention and has pleaded guilty to counts of resisting police and disturbing the peace, court records show. Police said she was released to her mother’s custody in Wayne County pending sentencing later this month.

The 15-year-old son remains in custody and is charged with larceny from an auto, resisting police, malicious destruction of police property, and possessing alcohol as a minor. Another teen who was arrested with Murphy in the parking lot outside the apartments in the 200 block of Clark Street faces similar charges.

Court records also indicate Murphy was scheduled to stand trial on assault and domestic violence charges just two days after his recent arrest. He pleaded no contest to domestic violence, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon was dismissed. That case stemmed from a November 2009 arrest by Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputies. Further details were not immediately available.

He faces sentencing in both cases on Aug. 30.

James Fifelski, Murphy's attorney, said his client is remorseful for his actions and personally apologized to members of police department and brought cases of soda as a gesture.

“Mr. Murphy was concerned about the welfare of his son when this happened. He was a concerned citizen and parent,” he said.

Police officials said they accepted the apology, but refused the soda.