Redford man stabbed to death in argument with neighbor, police say

REDFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - A man was killed during an argument with his neighbor in Redford Township Sunday afternoon.

The neighbors have been getting into disagreements and reporting each other to police for several years now, said Redford Police Det. Edward French.

But around 3:40 p.m. on Sunday, police responded to a fatal stabbing in the 19300 block of Indian Street near Seven Mile and Inkster roads.

One of the men was taken into custody for allegedly stabbing his neighbor, who is in his 60s, to death. 

"It’s an unfortunate scenario," French said. "One neighbor produced a knife and lunged at (the other.)"

The man being attacked was "able to wrestle the knife away" from the attacker and "ended up killing him," the detective added.

The man in custody is in his 30s and is an army veteran with combat experience, according to police.

"If this is a self-defense scenario, then that’s up for the prosecutor’s office to decide," French said.

According to a witness, the incident took place over the fence that separates the two neighbors’ backyards.

The man that was stabbed to death after pulling out the knife lived in a house with an overgrown backyard – which is one of the topics the neighbors argued about, police said. 

Other disputes were over a marijuana growing operation in the older man’s backyard and basement, "larcenies, stealing things, damaging property, not taking care of property, grass ordinance type violations, things of that nature," French said.

The neighbor in custody is awaiting charges.