Witness says off-duty DPD officer threatened to 'put 2 in me'

DETROIT (WJBK) - A Detroit police officer is facing charges of assault, domestic violence and felony firearm after an incident near Greektown over the weekend. He was off duty at the time. 

Willie Fortner, 25, is accused of beating his girlfriend, and pulling out his gun as witnesses tried to step in and help. 

The two witnesses spoke to FOX 2, saying their lives were threatened and they now fear for their safety. They wished to stay anonymous so their names will not be used. 

The two men, who are relatives both in their 20s, say they were trying to help a woman Fortner was with. They said they saw her nose bleeding, her clothes roughed up and saw Fortner forcing her into the car. 

"That's when I told him, 'I'll beat the [expletive] out you if you put your hands on her again,' and he told me, 'I'll put two in you,'" the younger relative says. ""That means two shots, so, yeah, I feared for my life."

"This gonna be it. My life was flashing between my eyes," says the other witness. "I'm traumatized by that. I've been shot in my head before and just the fear of being shot again and not living this time really just didn't sit right with me."

Prosecutors say it was around 2:15 Saturday morning when Fortner pointed his weapon at the two guys.

"Once he pulled the gun out on us and we took cover, the police was pulling like right up Beaubien [Street]. ... I'm not sure if they seen [him pulling his weapon] but I know that the timeframe from him trying to put the gun back up in the trunk and them pulling up was a split second."

Now, after stepping in to help they say they don't want anyone knowing who they are.

"For this guy to come looking for me, he's kinda like a thought in the back of my head."

"He might look me up, anything. Identity, find out where I stay at, have his police officer friends come get us, whatever."

More: Off-duty officer arrested outside Detroit bar facing felony charges

Fortner, who's been with the force for two years, has been in jail since. He was arraigned on the charges Monday. 

He's been charged with two counts of Felonious Assault, two counts of Felony Firearm, and one count of misdemeanor Domestic Violence.

Detroit Police say both an internal and a criminal investigation have been launched.