Cyclist arrested in bridge incident

Daniel Grussing decided to ignore the “no cycling” signs on the Washington Avenue Bridge on Thursday — a decision he now regrets.
The illicit cycling led to four hours in Hennepin County Jail after Grussing refused to get off his bicycle after repeated officers’ commands.
Grussing, an English studies sophomore, said he was riding home from his West Bank night class and decided to ride across the bridge.
He said he thought that since there were “only nine” people on the bridge the police wouldn’t mind if he rode his bike across. But they did.
According to a police report, officers warned Grussing several times, telling him to get off his bicycle. But he rode until an officer caught up to him in a squad car and stopped him.
“I felt very wronged,” Grussing said. “They weren’t following the spirit of the law, but they were following the letter of the law.”
Because of structural concerns, cyclists now need to walk their bikes from one side of the bridge to the other, or face an $80 citation from police attendants.
Police have been giving mostly warnings these last few days, University Police Deputy Chief Chuck Miner said, but now students have been sufficiently warned and police will hand out citations, regardless of how many people are walking on the bridge.
“It’s like if you’re speeding at 4 o’clock in the morning,” Miner said. “If there’s no other cars around, that doesn’t change the game.”
Police arrested Grussing and charged him with obstructing a legal process and failing to obey police — both misdemeanors — and took him to the Hennepin County Jail.
He said he now has a Sept. 26 court date and a $300 fine for his charges.
“I was breaking the law so technically I should be arrested,” Grussing said, “but honestly I don’t think I should have been.”
Grussing said he will not stop riding his bike across the bridge — he’s just going to take the lower level.
Fake name, free service
Depending on the name he used at the time, Stacy Smith has been to the University’s emergency room eight times since June.
According to a police report, Stacy Smith, who went by Cedric Smith on his last visit, has visited the University Medical Center, Fairview’s emergency room to get drugs under a false name and under false pretenses. Thursday, his cover was blown by a family member.
Medical staff contacted police after the family member called the hospital looking for Stacy Smith — then remembering his alias, asked for Cedric Smith instead, Miner said.
Smith often came in with several different injuries and would ask for Percocet , a habit-forming pain killer, to treat a recent injury, according to the report.
Thursday’s visit concerned a knee Smith said he injured the day before while riding his bicycle. But police didn’t believe him because the scab he pointed to appeared to be healing and he was limping with his opposite leg, according to the report.
This is the second time someone has checked themselves into the hospital under a false name, Miner said. The first incident involved an individual worried about making payment.
Police arrested Smith, charged him with swindling — a felony — and took him to the Hennepin County Jail.
Trial date set for Karls rape case
Christopher Karls , the man suspected of raping a Dinkytown woman in May, has an expected Sept. 29 court date.
Karls allegedly broke into an apartment on 16th Avenue Southeast during the early morning of May 4 .
According to district court documents, Karls allegedly walked up to the second floor of the building and raped the woman who lived there.
After the incident, the alleged victim escaped by jumping out of her second-story window, breaking her ankle, then went to her neighbor’s house.
The Hennepin County District Court charged Karls with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and burglary — both felonies.