Dangerous Handshake?

A man is in jail on assault charges after an assistant prosecutor, police officer and courtroom bailiff all got sick after shaking hands with him.

John Ridgeway, 41, was in an Isabella County courthouse in Mount Pleasant last month on a misdemeanor charge of driving without insurance. He now faces three felony assault charges and up to six years in prison.

After a Dec. 21 jury trial where he was found guilty on the misdemeanor charge, Ridgeway was observed pulling out a vial of liquid and rubbing his hands with the contents. The three public officers got sick within an hour or so. Symptoms included nausea, headaches, numbness and tingling. Two of the three officials went to the hospital for the symptoms that lasted about 24 hours.

Ridgeway told officials the substance was olive oil. Ridgeway is charged with one count of assaulting a police officer and two counts of assaulting a public officer. Each count is punishable by up to two years in prison.