St. Clair Shores Man Accused of Pokémon Go Assault Pleads to Charge

ST. CLAIR SHORES, MI — Ryan Jeffrey Steiner, 33, of St. Clair Shores pleaded no contest to an aggravated assault charge which resulted from an argument over the once popular Pokémon Go augmented reality game.

Court records indicated that Steiner pled to the misdemeanor on Tuesday in the 41B District Court of Clinton Township.

The incident happened on August 2 in Mount Clemens — an area which is known to have many Pokémon Go stops.

According to a news release, Steiner, his girlfriend and another woman were walking on Market Street when they encountered the victim, a 53-year-old Harrison Township man. An argument that centered on Steiner’s use of his smartphone to play the game escalated to threats, and Steiner allegedly hit the victim in the face and knocked him down.

Steiner and his friends ducked inside a bar after the altercation, leaving the man lying on the sidewalk. Witnesses called 911 and helped the police identify Steiner.

Steiner is facing a possible year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for December 12.

Photo: Macomb County Sheriff's office