Former Westland officer facing multiple charges

    An ex-Westland police officer was scheduled for a court appearance this week on charges of assault and ethnic intimidation. The charges stemmed from an incident at a Detroit casino last year, according to a statement from the office of Michigan State Attorney General Dana Nessel.

    Kevin Yudt, 42, of Grass Lake, was ordered to stand trial on the charges last week. He is accused of poking an MGM Grand Detroit Security Officer in the chest and threatening him when he and a friend were denied access to the casino on April 6, 2023.
    They were denied access, according to an official statement, as the pair appeared intoxicated.
    Authorities allege Yudt identified himself as a Westland police sergeant although his employment with the department had been terminated a month before, in May of 2023. He had been with the Westland department since 2004, according to reports.
    Yudt allegedly told the security guard, “I’ll be waiting for you when you come to Westland, and you will not survive.” He also reportedly poked the security officer’s chest and shouted racial slurs during the incident, according to a statement from Nessel’s office.
    He faces two counts of ethnic intimidation, each a 2-year felony and two counts of assault and battery, each a 93-day misdemeanor. His bond was set at $30,000 by the court.
    “My office takes allegations of ethnic intimidation and assault very seriously and will prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law,” Nessel said in a statement.
    No explanation of the delay in the case was provided.