A bizarre video of a man walking in the roadway in pursuit of a vehicle traveling in reverse down a busy country road has been circulating online this week, and the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department has provided some context into the incident. 

According to authorities, deputies were dispatched to the area of Balk Road and Sherman Mills Road in Sherman Township on Monday, February 21, following a number of 911 calls reported a man walking in the roadway, yelling at oncoming traffic, and jumping in front of cars.

Before deputies arrived on scene, St. Joseph County Central Dispatch received another call reporting the same man had assaulted a 20-year-old Sturgis man who had stopped to talk to the man in question. Upon making contact with the subject, deputies were able to ascertain that he was a 31-year-old male out of the Detroit area, and was taken into custody without incident.

The individual is currently lodged in St. Joseph County Jail on assault charges.

Alek Haak-Frost is executive editor of Watershed Voice.