Last week, a 21-year-old MSU student was kidnapped.
It was nearly 2 a.m. She had been walking with a group of friends but split off from them to walk the last few blocks on Charles Street alone. She had been drinking, which perhaps contributed to her vulnerability.
She was approached by a man who forced her to the ground and then into his car, which had all of its windows tinted — perfect for an abduction. He drove for a few blocks, and was spotted driving erratically by East Lansing police Officer Ryan Kuhn, who pulled them over.
As his car came to a stop, the suspect tried to convince the student that it was all a practical joke. She wasn't sure what to believe. She had no idea that her captor was a convicted rapist, a registered sex offender living in Lansing, and had recently been paroled from prison.
Not a nice guy.
As Officer Kuhn went through the motions of what he thought was a routine traffic stop, the victim kept mouthing words to him while the driver wasn't looking. Ryan finally asked her to step out of the car and, at that point, learned that she had just been abducted.
It would be nice to think that every time somebody gets kidnapped, the East Lansing Police Department will be there to foil the crime. But the truth is that Officer Kuhn reached into a haystack and pulled out a needle. A total tragedy was averted this time, largely because of luck.
That's why I'm asking you to be careful out there and to look out for each other. It doesn't matter whether you're walking home from the Main Library or a party, please be wary of situations that would make you an easy victim for the predatory element.
Recently, we've seen that several of our most serious assaults and robberies have been committed by criminals from other places, who specifically come to East Lansing to prey on students.
This time, life is good; the student wasn't physically injured, the suspect will go back to prison, and I'll have the honor of pinning a medal on a police officer for doing a great job.
But I have to tell you that I'm worried. I just don't want there to be a "next time." You can help.
Tom Wibert
East Lansing chief of police
