Share this @internewscast.com

A Michigan village has agreed to a $320,000 settlement with a man from Japan who was wrongly accused of drunken driving after a police officer badly misread a breath test, court records show.

Ryohei Akima blew a 0.02 on the test, but it was mistakenly read by the Fowlerville officer as 0.22 — nearly three times over Michigan’s blood-alcohol limit for driving.

Caitlyn Peca, who was a rookie officer, told a colleague over the radio, “I have no idea what I’m doing,” according to a summary of the case.

Akima, a native of Yonago, Japan, was in the U.S. on a work visa in 2020. Charges of driving while intoxicated were dropped when a blood sample further showed that he wasn’t drunk.

Akima, 37, filed a lawsuit in federal court, alleging that Peca’s actions violated the U.S. Constitution. A settlement was reached in January, a few months after a federal appeals court said the case could move forward.

“It would be evident to a reasonable officer that (Akima) was, quite apparently, sober,” Judge Jane Stranch said in a 3-0 opinion. “So a reasonable jury could conclude that (the) arrest was not supported by probable cause and that Officer Peca was not entitled to qualified immunity.”

Fowlerville is paying the lawsuit settlement through insurance, records show.

An email seeking comment from Akima’s lawyer wasn’t immediately answered Thursday.

T. Joseph Seward, an attorney who represented Peca, claimed that performance on roadside sobriety tests was enough to make an arrest and avoid civil liability in the lawsuit.

“We’re disappointed the courts didn’t see it that way,” he said.

Peca is no longer an officer in Fowlerville.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

National Geographic’s ‘Secrets of the Penguins’ Explores New Depths with Explorer Bertie Gregory

LOS ANGELES — In celebration of Earth Month, National Geographic is giving…

Pope Francis Delivers Easter Sunday Blessing Following Meeting with JD Vance at the Vatican

ROME and LONDON — Pope Francis appeared on Sunday in St. Peter’s…

Military and Overseas Voter Issues Highlighted in North Carolina Supreme Court Race Between Allison Riggs and Jefferson Griffin

RALEIGH, N.C. — Almost six months later, and the North Carolina Supreme…

Chicago resident Katie Wilson marks her 100th birthday, continuing to reside in her Morgan Park birthplace

CHICAGO (WLS) — There was a 100th birthday celebration Sunday in the…

Security Camera Captures Burglary at The R.O.C.K. Exchange Resale Boutique in McKinley Park, Chicago; Four Additional Businesses Also Hit

CHICAGO (WLS) — A business break-in on the city’s Southwest Side was…

Lawsuit Challenges Trump’s Immigration Policies Targeting International Students

WASHINGTON — A class action lawsuit filed Friday asks a federal court…

Chicago Demonstration: Daley Plaza Protesters Rally Against Trump’s Immigration, Funding, and Reproductive Rights Policies

CHICAGO (WLS) — People took to the streets Saturday in Chicago and…

Authorities Identify Caitlin Hodges, Missing Woman from Crystal Lake, Illinois, Last Seen in Goldsboro, North Carolina

GOLDSBORO, N.C. — There are still many questions Jennifer Allio and her…

Arson Suspect’s 911 Call from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Home Released

Less than an hour after he allegedly firebombed the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion,…

Earth Day 2025: Simple Ways to Discuss Climate Change with Children, Get Ready for Illinois Weather Disasters and More

CHICAGO (WLS) — Tuesday is Earth Day. The first observance was April…

Putin Declares Easter Truce in Ukraine Conflict; Zelenskyy Offers His Reaction

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared an “Easter truce” in the war in…