Defendant Threatens to “Cut Off Officers’ Legs” — Judge FIRES BACK

Added: 2026-05-21

[00:00:00]Would telling officers that you're going to chop their legs off be threatening behavior? Also, threatening behavior would be when you come off the elevator at the court, you brandish your colostomy bag as if you're going to throw it at somebody so you can let people know that it's full.

[00:00:14]>> In Michigan, Steve Ree appeared before the court for a probation violation hearing with a protection order already in place and two counts of assault and battery pending. The violation stemmed from a July 13th, 2025 incident at a drop in shelter. But what made this hearing different from any routine violation proceeding was what had happened the last time Ree stood in that courtroom and the reason four fully armed security officers were stationed in that room specifically because of him.

[00:00:38]>> State of Michigan versus Steve Reese and then Miss Travis is here in person at this time. How are we proceeding on the violation?

[00:00:47]>> It is my understanding your honor that Mr. Ree would like to proceed with the contested hearing.

[00:00:52]>> Call officer. You solemnly swear or affirm the testimony you're going to give is the truth and the whole truth under penalty of perjury.

[00:00:58]>> Yes, your honor.

[00:00:59]>> You can have a seat and then if you can state your first and last name and then spell both.

[00:01:04]>> Uh Peter Howard. D E T E R H O W A R D.

[00:01:09]>> Thank you, your honor. Uh Officer Howard, are you currently employed?

[00:01:12]>> Yes.

[00:01:13]>> Where are you employed?

[00:01:14]>> With the Atlanta Police Department.

[00:01:15]>> And what are your uh assignment at the Atlanta Police Department?

[00:01:19]>> Uh general patrol police officer. How long have you been uh in this assignment?

[00:01:23]>> Approximately 12 years.

[00:01:25]>> 12 years. Okay. Uh were you uh on duty uh on July 13th of 2025?

[00:01:32]>> I was.

[00:01:33]>> Okay. And uh did you on that day encounter someone that you see present in courtroom today?

[00:01:40]>> I did.

[00:01:40]>> Uh can you I point that individual out and identify an article?

[00:01:46]>> Yep. It's a gentleman over here with a blue sweater with a tan on it. Uh, your honor, may the record reflect the witness identified defendant.

[00:01:54]>> The obstruction identification.

[00:01:57]>> Officer Howard, uh, tell us what, uh, was the initial call that, uh, brought you into contact.

[00:02:04]>> Uh, it was a PTO or PA53 violation.

[00:02:08]>> Tell us what happened when you uh, arrived in response to that call.

[00:02:11]>> I spoke to the protected party of a PA53. I believe her name was Miss BS. Uh what happened after uh spoke with uh the protected individual?

[00:02:22]>> Uh I spoke with her and determined there's been a violation and then I went inside the Advent house at 743 North Park and made contact with the defendant.

[00:02:31]>> What happened when you uh made contact with the defendant?

[00:02:34]>> Uh he was he was uh loud, boisterous, uh very upset. We actually took him into custody for the violation of the the murder vehicle. And uh when you took him into custody, what uh what was his demeanor?

[00:02:48]>> Uh he was argumentative, uncooperative, very loud and upset, threatening.

[00:02:53]>> What happened when you were taking him into custody?

[00:02:56]>> Uh he was screaming loud things, threatening to cut our legs off.

[00:03:01]>> Did he have any weapons on him at that time?

[00:03:03]>> Uh and some bags. We found them later at the jail when we were searching his property. General Max.

[00:03:08]>> Oh, what? Describe those knives. Uh it's I don't recall exactly who tagged him in the property, but they were large kitchens from what I recall.

[00:03:16]>> And you said uh that he uh made active threats towards you.

[00:03:22]>> Can you repeat again what what exactly he said?

[00:03:24]>> Uh threatened to cut our legs off, officer's legs off.

[00:03:28]>> Uh were you with an additional officer?

[00:03:30]>> I was.

[00:03:31]>> Uh he threatened that officer as well.

[00:03:32]>> We were both standing there together. So I I took it as a threat. I can't speak for him, but we were both standing together. And uh how did this uh incident conclude?

[00:03:41]>> Uh he was taken into custody downtown at the jail and I believe he was taken to Sparrow Hospital for a mental health evaluation. However, I was not involved in that.

[00:03:50]>> Did you check to see his uh bond uh bond status at that time?

[00:03:54]>> I did.

[00:03:55]>> Uh and what was that?

[00:03:56]>> He was out on bond. He had a PA3 protecting both parties.

[00:03:59]>> Okay. No further questions. Uh, Officer Howard, you mentioned that you responded to a PA53 uh call on the behalf of Funding BS, Miss Funding BS.

[00:04:11]>> Yes.

[00:04:11]>> Um, when you arrived there, where did you find my client?

[00:04:16]>> Uh, he was downstairs in the 743 North Cafeteria coming out of the bathroom.

[00:04:21]>> Okay. So, you actually witnessed him coming out of the bathroom. You were inside, >> correct?

[00:04:25]>> And at what point did you begin to interact with him? when we went into the basement of the cafeteria when he came out of the bathroom. I believe we do talk to staff and ask him if he was there and then he came out of the bathroom. I believe they indicated that was so we >> Okay. Did you ever ascertain whether or not he was at that location first or whether Miss Funds was there first?

[00:04:49]>> I would have to refer to my report. I believe she was there first.

[00:04:53]report.

[00:04:53]>> Okay.

[00:04:59]>> A report from the PA3.

[00:05:02]>> Yes.

[00:05:05]>> If I were to hand you a report, the report from that day, it would refresh your memory.

[00:05:10]>> Yes.

[00:05:11]>> Your honor, permission to approach.

[00:05:13]>> Yes.

[00:05:14]>> My narrative is in there.

[00:05:16]Not report. This is a supplemental report, but my my part of it. Okay. So, you can't recall whether or not the Spun and Dunks was there first or my client was there first. Correct.

[00:05:29]>> Okay. What is Advent House?

[00:05:31]>> It's like a I I would call it a day shelter, but they provide meals and other activities for people that need it.

[00:05:35]>> Okay. Sort of like a drop in location for homeless people.

[00:05:38]>> Yeah.

[00:05:39]>> Okay. Um would it have made a difference if he had been there first?

[00:05:45]>> No.

[00:05:45]>> Okay. So, he was not allowed to be at that location at all?

[00:05:49]>> No, he was allowed to be there. Yes.

[00:05:51]However, if she appears there, he has to be based on >> Okay. And how were you made aware that he knew she was there?

[00:05:59]>> Uh, she testified or she told me that she was sitting at the table in the cafeteria and he approached her and sat down at the table next to her.

[00:06:06]>> Okay.

[00:06:08]And you also mentioned that he had knives in his possession. Were they on his person?

[00:06:13]>> They were in I believe they're in some bags and then his walker had a bunch of property in it, too. And they were all kind of shortage of all that.

[00:06:20]>> Okay.

[00:06:22]>> And those items kind of presented like a homeless or or or houseless person's belongings that they carry with them all the time.

[00:06:30]>> It's Yeah, just typical of that. Yes.

[00:06:33]>> Okay. So, it would be reasonable to not assume that he was carrying them around as weapons to hurt and fun.

[00:06:41]>> I wouldn't say that.

[00:06:43]>> Okay. Would you say that he actually removed any of those knives and physically threatened her with them?

[00:06:48]>> No, there was no indication that happened.

[00:06:50]>> So, you never saw a knife on his person >> in his property, but not physically in his hand.

[00:06:55]>> Okay. So, when he was yelling um things at you, he wasn't doing that in a way that posed an imminent threat that he was actually going to cut anyone.

[00:07:07]>> All right.

[00:07:08]No further questions.

[00:07:10]>> Any redirect?

[00:07:11]>> No redirect. Uh, thank you, Officer Howard.

[00:07:16]Any additional witnesses?

[00:07:17]>> No.

[00:07:18]>> Any witnesses from the defense?

[00:07:20]>> I have argument.

[00:07:22]>> Uh, your honor, believe you've heard the testimony. uh testimony stated that uh uh officer Howard um got a call about violent that defendant came into this location where the protective party uh was already at. He sat down next to the protective party. He knew that he wasn't supposed to be there and if he saw her, he wasn't supposed to be within 2,000 ft. He should have turned around and left. Uh after he uh was approached by officers, he threatened officers. Uh he had multiple knives on uh they were in around his person. So did he did have the ability to uh take out those knives and use those. Um so uh in addition to uh in addition to being around to protect the party, he also engaged in some assaulted behavior and he had natal uh that could pose a danger. So, your honor, I ask that you find the defendant guilty. Thank you.

[00:08:25]>> Sure.

[00:08:26]>> Yes, your honor. Um, we did hear testimony from the officer today that he was indeed at a location uh that the no contact or complaining witness was also located at, but it is not clear whether or not he was at that location first. Um, and >> how does that matter?

[00:08:45]>> Well, it does appear to be a drop in shelter, your honor. Um, and I'm not sure whether or not Mr. Ree really registered that that was Miss Funding Bones. It is not clear whether or not he went there to to seek her out. No testimony today has has mentioned that or asserted that. It is also clear that those knives that were mentioned were not on his physical person, but rather in his belongings. And as a person without housing, um it could have very reasonably been that he just carried those around uh for various purposes um for living purposes and not for any threatening purposes. Uh as he did not physically uh threaten with those those knives, the actual police or uh the uh complaining witness, your honor, we would ask this court uh to cons not consider this a violation of his law. I would just uh say that he had an ample opportunity once he did find out this was a protective party. He did not.

[00:09:43]>> The court order was for him not to be anywhere where the defendant or the protective party was. Not it doesn't matter if she's there first and then now the allegations or the testimony is not only was he where she was but went and took it upon himself to sit directly in front of her. Do I think that um there was a situation where it didn't register to him that this was the person that he um is being accused to have assaulted on a previous uh date and time? I think it did register. Um Mr. Ree is uh far more astute than that that he can't that he knows who's in front of him and who's not. And so the violation um today is not just that he was in the presence of the protective party because if I had if I was here with just an allegation that he showed up to the ahouser to the drop in shelter and it just so happened that the other party was there. We wouldn't be here. We have I've had that happen multiple times. We wouldn't be here. I'm not holding you in contempt for that.

[00:10:52]The contemptable behavior became when the police tried to come and engage as a result of the 911 call and his behavior from that because he also has a bond condition and he's not supposed to have any dangerous weapons and he's also not supposed to engage in any assaultive or threatening behavior. Would telling officers that you're going to chop their legs off be threatening behavior?

[00:11:20]>> Yes, sir. then we have a violation.

[00:11:23]Also, threatening behavior would be when you come off the elevator at the court, you brandish your colonoscopy bag as if you're going to throw it at somebody so you can let people know that it's full.

[00:11:33]Try throwing a bag in here today and see what happens. You did that the last time you were remanded. I guarantee you I will light you up for every single violation and you will serve a full year in the jail. Do you understand me?

[00:11:48]You have more control over your behavior than you like to pretend when you come around courtrooms. You want to come in here, you want to yell at people, you want to yell at your attorney, you want to curse out a lawyers, you want to act like you don't know how to behave when you're already here for two counts of assault and battery, using your walker to try to now create a a a picture that, oh, I you know, I didn't know what I was doing or I have all these medical concerns. These medical concerns aren't stopping you from assaulting people.

[00:12:16]You're so sick, then focus on your illness and stop assaulting people or you'll be sitting in jail. Do you understand that? So, I'm sustaining the violation from July 13, 2025 uh as a contempt of court violation. Now, my understanding is he took a plea on this matter. He was sentenced to serve 30 days in jail. I gave him credit for 18 days. At which time when he was being remanded, he ripped his velocity bag out and started throwing it in open court.

[00:12:50]He was kicking, fighting, biting, and spitting court security while being remanded. I had that set for a contempt order on October 27th. Of course, he did not appear. That's direct contempt. We don't have to hold a hearing for that. I was present. Then I find out that the police released you from custody of the jail, likely because your behavior were possibly a medical condition. I don't know. I'm not going to punish and penalize security or police by putting you in their presence today. That That's why these people are in here with gloves because you don't know how to act. I got four fully abled, wellbarted, and armed security in here because of you. Sounds ridiculous. And you got to have a caretaker bring you to court. I believe that this will resolve the matter. I'm not going to remand him today because I don't want to have to deal with the repercussions of his inability to control himself and his bodily fluids that are attached to his body. You need to focus in on your health and your wellness and mental wellness. Okay?

[00:13:49]Because it doesn't sound like the way you're taking care of yourself, you have many days on this earth, you probably want to start treating people better. Do you understand that? You're all set.

[00:13:58]Thank you. The judge sustained the violation as a contempt of court finding, but chose not to remand Ree that day, citing the security implications his behavior created every time he was taken into custody. In Michigan, direct contempt committed in open court in front of a judge requires no separate hearing. It is witnessed. It is on the record, and the consequences are immediate. The judge made the ceiling clear every future violation carries up to one year in jail, and he intended to impose every single one. The protection order, the bond conditions, and the basic expectation of courtroom conduct all remain in place.