Redford fatal stabbing between neighbors ruled as self-defense by prosecutor
FOX 2 (WJBK) -
A Redford Township man arrested for a fatal stabbing of his neighbor has been released without charges. The incident, which killed a man in his 60s, was ruled a case of self-defense which the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office described Tuesday as justified.
Police said the neighbors had been getting into disagreements and reporting each other to police for several years before an altercation on Sunday escalated to violence.
The two residents lived in the area of Seven Mile and Indian Street. Police responded to the dispute around 3:30 p.m. and discovered the victim, in his 60s, injured. He later succumbed to his wounds.
According to a witness, the incident took place over the fence that separates the two neighbors’ backyards.
"One neighbor produced a knife and lunged at (the other)," said Redford Police Det. Edward French. "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 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," said French.