'Mentally ill' man who killed firefighter and Iraq war veteran during charity fundraiser hit-and-run 'was angry about the traffic delays' 

• Grant Jacob Taylor, 22, charged with killing fireman Dennis Rodeman, 35
• Rodeman, seven-year veteran of the Lansing Fire Department, was killed while taking part in 'Fill The Boot' fundraising campaign
• Police say Rodeman and Taylor exchanged words before the firefighter was mowed down by Taylor's pickup truck 
• Taylor told police afterwards he was angry about slowing traffic 
• His mother has twice tried to have him committed in the last two years, citing mental illness  
• Rodeman had been a US Marine who served a tour of duty in Fallujah, Iraq; he and his wife of two months, Katherine, were expecting their first child

By Associated Press Reporter and Dailymail.com Reporters

Published: 16:21 EST, 14 September 2015 | Updated: 16:38 EST, 14 September 2015

Grant Jacob Taylor, 22, from Lansing, Michigan, told officers he deliverately hit fireman Dennis Rodeman with his car, killing him

A motorist accused of deliberately and fatally hitting a firefighter with his car told police he was angry with the firefighters collecting money for charity and slowing traffic, court records show.

Grant Jacob Taylor, 22, told officers during an interview that he expressed his anger with firefighters last Wednesday on a Lansing street and that their response to his frustrations didn't satisfy him. 

He said he drove away, then turned around and deliberately hit Dennis Rodeman - a firefighter involved in the conversation, the Lansing State Journal reported Monday.

The 35-year-old firefighter was participating in Fill the Boot, an annual fundraising campaign for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and International Association of Firefighters. 

Rodeman, who had worked at the fire department for seven years, survived the initial impact and was taken to hospital, but later died from his injuries in hospital.

Before becoming a fireman, he served with the US Marines, competing a tour of Fallujah, Iraq.

Taylor was charged Thursday with murder, failing to stop at the scene of an accident causing death and fleeing police. 

The Associated Press left a message for defense attorney Stacia Buchanan seeking comment about the allegations.

During testimony that led to charges against Taylor, Lansing Detective Lee McCallister said firefighters told Taylor what they were doing and said they would appreciate any donations. 

Taylor told McCallister he became angrier when firefighters mocked him, according to the testimony.

'At no time during his conversation did (Taylor) express any remorse,' McCallister said. 

'Nor did he ask the condition of the victim.' 

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Hero slain: Michigan firefighter Dennis Rodeman, pictured left in his US Marines dress blues and right in his fireman's uniform, was struck and killed in Lansing while raising money for charity last Wednesday

Overcome with grief: A firefighter puts his head in his hands as he and other firefighters sit on the curb on Cedar Street just north of Jolly Road where their colleague Dennis Rodeman was struck and killed by a pickup

Charity work: Rodeman, a seven-year veteran of the Lansing Fire Department, was taking part in the annual 'Fill The Boot' fundraising campaign when he became the victim of the 'deliberate' hit-and-run

Taylor's mother, Karen Taylor, petitioned Ingham County Probate Court twice in the past two years to involuntarily hospitalize him for mental health reasons, the newspaper reported, citing court records. 

Psychiatrists who evaluated Taylor diagnosed him with psychosis and bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses.

Cops said Rodeman was hit at 3.40pm while taking part in the annual fundraiser.

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero said at the time: 'This is a shocking and unthinkable tragedy. Dennis was cut down in an instant, doing what he loved, what he believed in, what he believed in most: helping others.'

Taylor was arrested shortly after the collision, but not before leading police on a car chase. 

He was arraigned and denied bond due to the seriousness of the charges.

He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on September 23 in District Court. 

Taylor said he would hire his own lawyer, but was assigned one for the time being due to the severity of his case.

Lansing Police Capt Jim Kraus said Rodeman and the driver of the pickup had exchanged some words before the firefighter was struck. 

Act of evil: Police said  22-year-old Taylor purposefully plowed into Rodeman after the two had exchanged some words. Taylor reportedly told police he was angry at the slowing traffic 

United: Firefighters hug inside Station 1 before a press conference Wednesday announcing Rodeman's death

Terrible news: Lansing Police Chief Mike Yankowski speaks during Wednesday's press conference devoted to the killing of Dennis Rodeman 

'The suspect came by, was upset for whatever reason (and) circled back around' before striking the firefighter, Kraus said. 'The preliminary investigation is that he deliberately hit the firefighter who was standing in the road collecting for the charity.'

Fellow firefighter James Jenks described a grisly scene in the immediate aftermath of the collision.

'He [Rodeman] was just lying there. No movement at all, blood,' he recalled to Fox2Detroit.  

Rodeman was married two months ago, and he and wife Katherine were expecting their first child together, Fire Chief Randy Talifarro said.

The victim was wearing a reflective vest and other gear and was standing in the center turning lane on Jolly Road in Lansing.

Tionna Davis told The Lansing State Journal she was driving in the area and saw the Chevy S-10 pickup swerve from one lane to another before Rodeman was struck.

'He literally tried to hit him,' she said. 

Warrior: Rodeman survived a tour of duty in Fallujah, Iraq, only to be killed in his hometown of Lansing

New chapter: Dennis and Katherine, seen on their wedding day, said 'I do' only two months ago

The truck fled the scene, authorities said. The driver eventually pulled over and fled on foot, but police officers were able to catch up with him and take him into custody after a brief struggle. 

Talifarro called Rodeman's death 'a tremendous loss.'

He described the fireman as a highly regarded colleague with an 'unblemished' work record.

'He was a joy to work around,' Talifarro said.

Mayor Bernero called Rodeman's death 'a senseless, unthinkable tragedy that has left all of us in a state of shock.'

He also dubbed the fallen firefighter and veteran a 'hero twice over.'

'He served his country with great pride, bravery and ability, having survived a tour of duty in Fallujah, Iraq, one of the most dangerous places in the world,' Bernero said.

'It is beyond comprehension that this American hero lost his life on the streets of Lansing while collecting charitable contributions for children afflicted by muscular dystrophy.' 

The couple were expecting their first child together. Now, Mrs Rodeman will be raising their baby without a dad 

Well-liked: Fire Chief Randy Talifarro descbied Rodeman (right) as a highly regarded colleague with an 'unblemished' work record who was a joy to be around 

In keeping with his character, Rodeman's final Facebook message, posted just hours before his death Wednesday, was a graphic honoring fallen Vietnam War veterans. 

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by the Lansing Fire Department to raise funds for Rodeman's pregnant widow.

Visitation for Rodeman is Tuesday at a Lansing funeral home, and his funeral is Wednesday at Michigan State University's Breslin Center in East Lansing. 

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