Man who tried to strangle driver to serve jail time

ROCHESTER HILLS — A 42-year-old man from Metamora will spend time in jail after reportedly choking the driver of a moving car in Rochester Hills.

Kyle Garrett Rasmussen — a former WWE wrestler who performed under the name Conrad Tanner — was sentenced Aug. 9 to 153 days in jail, with credit for four days served, and two years of probation in connection with an assault last October.

The incident occurred at approximately 2:21 a.m. Oct. 29. Rasmussen was riding in the back seat of a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck when, police say, he attempted to choke the driver as the car was headed westbound on M-59.

The driver of the car, a 31-year-old man from Otter Lake, reportedly stopped the truck in an area off M-59, near the on-ramp onto M-59 from Adams Road, and fled on foot.

Sarah Ratliff, a 30-year-old woman from Davidson, was in the front seat of the car at the time of the incident. She exited the car with the driver and was struck by the driver of an Audi Q7 about 100 feet from the truck, according to reports.

Ratliff died at a hospital shortly after.

Rasmussen was arraigned three days later and charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder or by strangulation.

He pleaded no contest in July, just before his trial was scheduled to begin, after initially pleading not guilty to the felony charge.

A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes.

Rasmussen’s attorney could not be reached for comment at press time.