COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – 22-year-old Dakota McDaniel, pleaded guilty on Monday, February 2, 2026, to a felony charge of assault with a dangerous weapon for his role as an accomplice in a February 2025 pepper-spraying incident in downtown Coldwater.
The charges stemmed from a confrontation outside Jim’s Place on South Monroe Street, where McDaniel and James Ryall, both wearing masks and dark clothing, were recording patrons.
While McDaniel did not personally possess or use the spray, he was charged as an accomplice after Ryall deployed the chemical agent against two men who had approached the pair to confront them about being filmed.
Under a plea agreement accepted by visiting Judge David Buter, McDaniel will be placed on Holmes Youthful Training Act (HYTA) probation, which allows the felony to be vacated and his record sealed upon successful completion.
During the court proceedings, McDaniel admitted that he now understands how their actions made people feel “harassed or terrorized,” a stark contrast to his initial defense of “practicing journalism”.
His formal sentencing is tentatively scheduled for March 9, following Ryall’s earlier sentence of four months in jail and two years of probation.
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