Former Michigan cop accused of starting own investigation after relative ticketed for crash
GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A former Michigan police officer is now facing charges after allegedly interfering with a crash investigation involving one of his relatives.
Kenneth John Chase, 55, of Swartz Creek, is charged with misconduct in office and unauthorized service of legal process for his alleged actions after the May 2025 crash.
The backstory:
According to the Genesee County Prosecutor's Office, Chase worked for the Genesee Township Police Department when a relative was involved in a crash in Mt. Morris Township last spring. Authorities said the Mt. Morris Police Department found that person at fault and ticketed them for the crash.
However, Chase did not agree with this decision, and decided to get involved.
The prosecutor's office said that Chase went to the home of the other driver involved in the crash, said he was a police officer, and demanded their key fob for their vehicle. When the driver refused to give up their key, Chase allegedly created a fake subpoena, and had a private investigator deliver it to the towing company that had the driver's vehicle.
According to authorities, the towing company believed this was a real subpoena, so it held the vehicle while Chase allegedly hired a crash expert to retrieve data from the vehicle recorder.
What they're saying:
"Police officers are vested with a sacred duty to protect our communities and our citizens and are sworn to uphold the law, not undermine it," said Prosecutor David Leyton after his office authorized charges. "No one is above the law, including police, and if they violate the law, they will be held accountable under the law."
What's next:
Chase is scheduled to appear in court for a probable cause conference on Jan. 22.
The Source: This information is from the Genesee County Prosecutor's Office.