Police: Michigan Firefighter Dies After He Was 'Deliberately' Run Down in Charity Event

Firefighter and former Marine Dennis Rodeman fought in one of the most dangerous places in the world, but died Wednesday after he was struck in what police say was an intentional hit-and-run accident. (Photo via GoFundMe)

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This story has been updated.

A Lansing firefighter collecting money at a “Fill the Boot” charity event died Wednesday after he was intentionally run down, police said.

Dennis Rodeman, 35, was struck by a pickup around 3:40 p.m. Wednesday during the fund-raising event for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Lansing State Journal reports. Rodeman was a seven-year veteran of the Lansing Fire Department, and was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Fallujah, Iraq.

Grant Jacob Taylor, 22, was arraigned Thursday on murder, failing to stop at the scene of a personal injury accident causing death, and two counts of third-degree fleeing and eluding in Rodeman’s death. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

Because of the seriousness of the charges, 54A District Court by Magistrate Laura Millmore denied bond. A preliminary hearing to determine if there’s evidence to proceed to trial is scheduled for Sept. 23 in District Court.

Lansing Police Department Capt. Jim Kraus told WOOD-TV the driver “was upset for whatever reason,” and that a preliminary investigation shows “he deliberately hit the firefighter.” According to media reports, the as-yet unnamed driver was involved in some sort of traffic altercation before the firefighter was struck.

A witness to the hit-and-run, Tionna Davis, told the Lansing newspaper that she saw the pickup swerve into the lane where Rodeman was collecting donations.

“He literally tried to hit him,” Davis said.

Rodeman leaves behind a wife, who is pregnant with the couple’s first child. The city, Lansing Fire Department and International Association of Firefighters Local 421 have established a GoFundMe page to raise money for his family.

After having served with the Marines in “one of the most dangerous places in the world, it is beyond comprehension that this American hero lost his life on the streets of Lansing while collecting charitable contributions for children afflicted by muscular dystrophy,” the founders of the page wrote.

More than $18,000 had been raised by early Thursday afternoon. The initial goal is to raise $50,000 for the family.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association fundraiser is an event that firefighters look forward to because it allows them to interact with the public in a non-emergency situation, Lansing Fire Department Chief Randy Talifarro said.

“We look forward to this, typically, because it is one of those rare activities that we are doing something that is uplifting, and to have it end like this is something that’s especially tragic,” Talifarro said at a Wednesday evening press conference.

Below, click to donate to the GoFundMe account.