Men attack, beat retired Detroit police officer with own radio
WAYNE, Mich. (WJBK) - Two Garden City men are locked up tonight accused of brutally beating a 70-year-old former Detroit police officer.
Darell Fletcher and Jacob Rose, both of Garden City stand accused assault with intent to murder. The victim, Roy Houston, was allegedly beaten and nearly killed with his own car radio by them in the parking lot behind a bar in Wayne.
Houston is a 30-year-veteran of the Detroit Police Department.
"He started in 1969 - when he was 21 he started until 30 years later," said Maurice Houston, the victim's son.
His dad is now 70 and for the past ten years has lived in Wayne with his dog, a pit bull named Tony.
His son says Houston lives in senior living apartments and those who live in the area say it's not uncommon to see him hanging around the parking lot late at night listening to music in his car with his dog.
It was something he was said to be doing early Sunday morning.
"He saw some guys coming up to the car and they asked him about his dog," Maurice said. "And they asked if it was for sale he was like no, it's not for sale. He got out the car and the next thing you know they jumped him."
It happened around 2:30 a.m. that morning. According to police these two threw the dog at the car, took Houston's radio and beat him repeatedly with it, cracking his eye socket.
"Broken nose, broken jaw, broken wrist," Maurice said. "Surgery on the wrist yesterday, surgery on the jaw tomorrow."
Houston wasn't the only one to get hurt. The two men accused of beating him were stabbed.
"He had a knife and he said he got at least two of them," Maurice said.
Police originally arrested three people but only charged the two men. Maurice says his dad was unconscious for two days - but is now surrounded by loved ones and on his way to recovery.
"The doctors said he did a good fight, they say he's strong guy," Maurice said. "And they defended himself as best he could do."
As for Fletcher and Rose, they will be back in court in August.