Grant Taylor, at left, and firefighter Dennis Rodeman, right
A 22-year-old Michigan man allegedly told police he intentionally ran over and killed a local firefighter because he was "angry with the firefighters collecting money for charity and slowing traffic," according to court documents obtained by the Lansing State Journal.
During an interview with police after the Sept. 9 incident, Grant Taylor allegedly admitted to intentionally running over Dennis Rodeman, 34, with his pickup truck, the Journal reported on Tuesday.
Lansing police Detective Lee McCallister said that several firefighters, including Rodeman, told Taylor about the fundraiser they were participating in for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the International Association of Firefighters.
Taylor alleged in his interview that the firefighters mocked him during the encounter, the AP reported.
Court records state that Taylor then honked and threw an apple core at the firefighters before driving off, turning around, and heading back toward them, hitting Rodeman.
Rodeman was pronounced dead shortly after an ambulance transported him to the hospital. Doctors told the Lansing State Journal he died of serious brain injuries.
The AP reported that Rodeman's wife is pregnant with the couple's first child.
The Lansing Fire Department has partnered with the City of Lansing to raise funds for the family.
Taylor has been charged with murder, failing to stop at the scene of a personal injury accident causing death, and two counts of third degree fleeing and eluding. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
McCallister told the AP that at no time during Taylor's testimony did he "express any remorse. Nor did he ask the condition of the victim."
The Lansing State Journal reported that Taylor's mother, Karen, had twice petitioned to have her son involuntarily hospitalized for mental health reasons. He had been previously diagnosed with psychosis, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses.
Taylor's attorney, Shania Buchanan, told BuzzFeed News that she was "not prepared to discuss the matter yet as it is still very early."
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has ordered that the U.S. and state flags be lowered to half-staff at the Capitol and all state buildings on Wednesday, the day of Rodeman's funeral.
BuzzFeed News has reached out to the Rodeman and Taylor families for more details.
Remember—flags in Michigan should be lowered to half-staff tomorrow in honor of Lansing firefighter Dennis E. Rodeman