GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The jury heard directly from the former Grand Rapids police officer accused of rape for the first time in court Friday.
The trial against former GRPD Officer Ryan Bruggink will resume Monday after the state rested its case Friday afternoon, with the defense intending to call further witness testimony next week.
The jury was in court for about two hours Friday and heard two recordings. The first was an interview between Bruggink and lead case investigator, Michigan State Police Lt. Gregory Poulson, and the second was a recorded phone call between Bruggink and the victim.
Bruggink said he was having sexual relations with the woman for about a year before the alleged assault in November 2014 at the victim's Wyoming home. He's charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and home invasion and faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Bruggink resigned from the GRPD in December 2104, one day after the Police Chief suspended him.
First, the jury heard a Dec. 1, 2014 phone call Lt. Poulson recorded between Bruggink and the victim. It was a brief call where she confronted him about the alleged assault.
She asked Bruggink, “Do you remember me telling you not to come over?” to which Bruggink responded, “No, why are we talking about this?” Bruggink continued to state he only remembered a little about the night and that he was “hungover.” When the victim said, “I want to know how you could do that to me?” Bruggink said, “I’m sorry.”
The following day, Poulson met Bruggink at the GRPD just after Bruggink was suspended, and recorded their first interview regarding the allegations. The jury heard the majority of the interview where Bruggink appeared to be shocked he was being accused of rape.
Bruggink told Poulson that he had been drinking the night of the alleged assault, and recalled having “seven beers and a few shots.” Bruggink said the victim told him not to come to her home but that he went anyway, then said she let him inside her home.
Poulson told him that a nurse found “abrasions” on the victim’s tongue after that night. Bruggink said he was not surprised and described their sexual relations as “more rough than with other people,” and told the lieutenant their sex “dealt with you know smacking, and slapping, and choking and stuff like that.” Bruggink said the night of the alleged assault was not much different.
Poulson asked him why Bruggink deleted the victim’s name and number from his phone after the night in question, since Bruggink said their sex that night was not different than before. Bruggink relayed that the victim told him to get out of her house, threw something at him, and he said she did not want to talk to him again.
He also said the victim was angry with him because she found out that he had a girlfriend, who he was seeing at the time of the alleged assault.
The trial resumes Monday morning. Stay with FOX 17 for developments.
