Cellphone video shows a dog being led to attack a Black man while other men on the scene pummeled him in a Michigan neighborhood Wednesday.
Police in the Detroit suburb of Roseville visited the area near Martin Road and Gratiot Avenue Wednesday and Thursday to investigate the incident that ended up leading to a series of fights, according to ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV.
In one of the videos captured, a 19-year-old man released the dog to attack a 20-year-old man his stepfather was fighting, the television station reported.
The stepfather, William Lafave, claimed someone said the man had pulled out a knife.
“That’s why the dog was let go and the dog did his job to make sure he protected me from getting stabbed by the individual,” Lafave told WXYZ.
The injured man went to a hospital to receive stitches and a tetanus shot, the television station reported.
He and three witnesses told WXYZ the victim didn’t have a knife or any other weapon and that Lafave threw the first punch.
The entire affray started when a social media dispute between two teens who are dating led a group of teens to Lafave’s doorstep to confront his stepson, WXYZ reported.
That confrontation prompted a fight between Lafave and a 17-year-old boy, according to witnesses interview by the TV station.
After that melee broke up, another fight began down the street from Lafave’s house, where friends of Lafave and the group that came to confront his stepson began fighting.
The crowd scattered when it learned police were on the way, but the 20-year-old remained behind, where he was apparently confronted and attacked by Lafave and others, including the stepson with the dog.
The 20-year-old told WXYZ he was never involved in any of the fights. Witnesses added to the station that they believed Lafave had a bruised ego from the earlier fight and took out the 20-year-old because he came with the group.
It’s unclear if anyone will be charged in the incident. Roseville police have not yet responded to Atlanta Black Star’s request for comment.
