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DaJuawn Wallace, a student at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan, is facing a felony charge for pulling over to a well-lighted area after a low-speed pursuit. Wallace, who is pursuing his master’s degree from the school, said he pulled into a lighted store parking lot out of concerns that police officer impersonators had been robbing people in his hometown of Detroit.

As reported by MLive.com, Wallace, 24, explained to the newspaper that the February 19 incident wasn’t an act of defiance. Wallace, who says he was on the way to pick up medicine for his girlfriend, said he attempted to signal to the officer that he was going to pull into the parking lot of a nearby Sam’s Club. Wallace notes that he did not try to evade the officer and cooperated once he was finally stopped.

The Saginaw County prosecutor is seeking a felony charge of evading and eluding, which a judge said in a June 12 preliminary hearing he would drop if Wallace admits guilt. Wallace, who is studying health administration, says a guilty plea would ruin his chances at getting financial aid to complete his studies in 2016 and jeopardize future employment.

More from MLive.com:

Wallace said he has no interest in any deal of any sort short of dismissal.

“I’m very certain I can stay out of trouble for a year, but I question whether they think I can,” Wallace said.

“Most people will say fine, thank you for not sending me to jail. Well, that will be detrimental to me.

“If I had to take a plea for a felony, I would be forced to resign my job, and I wouldn’t be able to get financial aid, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything with my degree. Even still with the misdemeanor.”

Wallace is due in court July 9, which if he doesn’t accept the deal, the case could possibly move to a trial in circuit court.

Kudos to Wallace for sticking to his guns. Hopefully, the law sees it his way and gives him the dismissal he’s seeking.

A Dash Cam video of the traffic stop involving DaJuawn Wallace and Saginaw Valley State University Police officer Leon Wilson can be seen below.

Photo: Saginaw Valley State University Police