INGHAM COUNTY, Mich. — 36-year-old Tyler Lueken recounted his experience of an August 2022 confrontation between him and now ex-Kent County Sheriff's Deputy Marcelo Aranda.
"He reached into the vehicle, grabbed my arm, and pinned me underneath the steering wheel," said Lueken.
That confrontation lead to both men coming face to face in court Friday morning in Ingham County for Aranda's assault and battery trial.
Lueken was driving on I-96 near Lansing when he says Aranda engaged him in a confrontation.
Aranda's Defense Attorney, Josh Kuiper, said in opening statements Aranda saw Lueken driving recklessly on the highway.
"Mr. Lueken was going well in excess of 100 miles per hour," said Kuiper. "He was swerving at a number of vehicles and endangering them."
Lueken pulled over into a rest stop off of the highway. That's when he says Aranda got into his car and started pushing him down.
"He was pushing me down with his elbows and I couldn't breath very well because I'm paralyzed from the upper chest down, so I can bend farther than I should bend," said Lueken.
Video filmed by Lueken's girlfriend was shown in court of the altercation showing Aranda hitting him several times.
"I was shocked, scared, and then... I don't know the right word but maybe appalled to think that a police officer would do this to somebody," said Lueken.
Kuiper gave Aranda's reasoning as to why he was seen hitting Lueken. He said before that Lueken hit Aranda.
"There's a portion of the video where he hits him twice in the face because Mr. Lueken is biting his arm," said Kuiper.
During the trial, the defense has been pushing that Aranda was trying to perform a citizen's arrest and protect other drivers. Aranda believed Lueken was drunk during the incident. Lueken was charged with a DUI after the confrontation.
The trial is expected to wrap up on Monday.
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