Royal Oak

Man bites victim's ear off, attempts to stab him with glass shard

By Chris Jackett
C & G Staff Writer

» click to enlarge « Berkley resident Brent Michael Smetana has been charged with assault with intent to murder. Berkley resident Brent Michael Smetana has been charged with assault with intent to murder.

Thanks to a resident’s noise complaint and an officer’s quick response, one resident is still alive.

Police responded to an apartment complex in the 4400 block of Springer, at 13 Mile and Greenfield, at about 3:30 a.m. July 25 on a report that a resident had heard glass breaking. Upon arrival, an officer found the broken glass and much more.

“The officer saw a window with broken glass. They saw a younger man viciously beating an older man,” said Royal Oak Police Chief Corrigan O’Donohue.

O’Donohue said the officer drew his gun and ordered the 20-year-old suspect to stop assaulting the victim, a man in his 60s. The suspect initially complied, but attempted to attack the victim again as the officer was entering the apartment, so the officer stunned the suspect with a Taser.

“The suspect grabbed a large piece of glass and said he intended to kill the victim. Then he lunged at him,” O’Donohue said.

The victim was taken to Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, where he was listed in stable condition. The suspect had been temporarily staying with the victim, but police declined to release the suspect’s motive for the attack.

“He actually bit part of his ear off,” O’Donohue said of the victim’s injuries.

The suspect, Berkley resident Brent Michael Smetana, was arraigned July 26 on a charge of assault with intent to murder in front of 44th District Court Judge Terrence Brennan. A $5,000 bond with no 10 percent was set, but Smetana was still in police custody at 12:30 p.m. July 26. O’Donohue said a preliminary exam should be scheduled within 14 days.
 

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Chris Jackett at cjackett@candgnews.com or at (586)279-1110.