Charges filed following attack on Fire Lieutenant in GR County

GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIP, Mich. — County officials said they will review safety and personnel protocols after a fire lieutenant was attacked while working alone at a station over the weekend.

The Kent County District Attorney’s Office announced just after 12 a.m. Monday that Robert Daniel-Brent Joppe would face felony charges stemming from the incident.

Joppe is charged with resisting and opposing a police officer causing serious injury (up to 15 years in prison), assault with intent to cause bodily harm less than murder (up to 10 years), carrying a concealed weapon (up to 5 years). and resisting and opposing the police (up to 2 years).

“We’re thankful for the people who came out here,” Grand Rapids County Executive Michael DeVries told FOX 17 Monday morning.

“They stopped an incident that could have been much more serious than it was.”

Just before 4:00 pm on Saturday, November 23, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a Lieutenant with the Grand Rapids County Fire Department.

The lieutenant was working alone at the East Beltline station when Joppe, 40, of Cedar Springs, showed up.

With the entrances locked, the Lieutenant believed Joppe was there to work on the concrete, which was currently undergoing some improvements.

“The ground on our base was being repaired,” DeVries said.

He explained that the Lieutenant “thought someone from the concrete company was going to check on the concrete work.”

Investigators say Joppe was “suicidal, used illegal drugs” and was armed with a firearm.

Once inside, he allegedly began attacking the Lieutenant.

At this point, the Lieutenant had requested emergency intervention from the Sheriff’s Office.

When deputies arrived, they allegedly saw Joppe physically assaulting the Lieutenant.

Deputies were able to quickly subdue the man and take him into custody.

While crews were completing their responses, Chief DeVries happened to pass by the station.

“I passed by here and I saw the police, so my wife and I stopped here,” DeVries said.

“That is, walking away with the perpetrator.”

The Fire Lieutenant suffered multiple injuries and was taken to the hospital for medical treatment.

Supervisor DeVries told FOX 17 that staffing and safety protocols will be reviewed following the incident.

“This will happen, we will review the situation completely,” he said on Monday.

Joppe is currently being held in the Kent County Jail and is expected to be formally arraigned on the charges in the coming days.

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