L.L. Brasier

The popular barkeep whose arrest by local police prompted widespread outrage in Delton pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct Thursday after prosecutors agreed to drop a felony charge.

The Barry Township police chief resigned last month, in part over Jack Nadwornik's arrest, as well as his use of a small army of non-certified, volunteer officers to patrol the town and surrounding township.

Nadwornik, 58, had faced a two-year felony after Barry Township police charged him with resisting arrest as they handcuffed him May 10 in the parking lot of Tujax Tavern, a bar he has owned for 30 years in this town of 850. Nadwornik had been out drinking and celebrating his birthday with friends that evening and urinated in a dark corner of the parking lot at about 3:30 a.m.

Two of the three officers involved in the arrest were unpaid reserve officers. During the course of the arrest, police broke bones in Nadwornik's hand, kneed him in the back and bloodied his knees.

Former Police Chief Victor Pierce defended the arrest as well as the contingent of 34 unpaid reserve officers that he trained to patrol the township to residents who packed township board meetings. The reserves were given guns and badges, and participated in arrests, even though most were not certified police officers.

Under increasing pressure from residents, who said the police force had become overly aggressive, Pierce resigned in July, and the reserve officer force was disbanded. The township is currently looking for a new chief.

In an agreement with prosecutors, Nadwornik pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor in Barry County District Court in Hastings and paid a $200 fine.

"It's good to have it over with," Nadwornik said Friday morning.

L.L. Brasier is a Detroit Free Press reporter