GENESEE COUNTY (WJRT) -
(08/06/12) - He says his goal was to help the community.
Costumed crime fighter "BeeSting," Adam Besso of Sterling Heights, ended up in jail after an April assault in Burton involving a shotgun.
He was sentenced Monday.
Besso apologized and says he wants to tell the victim he's sorry too.
Police allege Besso, wearing body armor, got into it with him over that man's loud motorcycle.
The allegation is Besso pointed his shotgun at him.
"My attitude and the attitude of some other people led to this incident and I apologize for that," Besso said.
It's the first time we've heard directly from him.
Besso was with the Michigan Protectors, a group of costumed activists, when involved in that incident at Twin Meadow's mobile home park.
No one was injured, but the shotgun was fired during the scuffle between him and the victim.
A nearby, vacant mobile home was hit.
Besso was originally charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of wearing body armor during the commission of a violent crime.
He reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in June and pleaded to a misdemeanor charge of attempted assault with a weapon.
67th District Court Judge Mark Latchana, sitting in for Circuit Court Judge Judith Fullerton, told Besso, during sentencing, he went about executing his good intentions in a really bad way.
"You were the one there armed with a firearm, presenting yourself as somebody involved in protecting our community and enforcing our laws and you had no business doing that because you were not trained to do that," Latchana says. "You created a dangerous situation by being in that park."
Besso was to give up his mask, body armor and firearm as part of his plea agreement.
He's been in jail since his April arrest, 102 days, and was sentenced no additional jail time, but 24 months probation.
Besso was ordered to have no contact with the victim or anyone else at Twin Meadow's.
