Police: Ann Arbor man hit roommate with sledgehammer over missing marijuana
After discovering his marijuana was missing, 45-year-old Ann Arbor man assaulted his roommate the man with a sledgehammer, police said.
Ann Arbor police Lt. Renee Bush said officers responded at 1:10 p.m. Saturday to the 2200 block of Fuller Court, the Huron Towers Apartments, because a 55-year-old man had been struck in the foot with a sledgehammer. Bush said the 45-year-old suspect had discovered the drugs missing from his room and blamed his roommate, believing he had stolen from him many times.
The man took a sledgehammer and first took out his anger on a television before turning his attention to the 55-year-old man, Bush said. The suspect first told his roommate to get out of the residence. Then the two men fought for a few minutes.
The 45-year-old then struck the man in the foot with the sledgehammer. Officers said there was a laceration on the foot along with bruising and swelling.
Police arrested the alleged assailant and the victim was taken by Huron Valley Ambulance to University of Michigan Hospital for treatment. Police said the injured man admitted that he had stolen the marijuana from his roommate.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
Paul Epstein
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 11:28 p.m.
One would think that you, the "liberal media" (hah!!) would stress the marijuana part by iterating its "importance" by using a 66-point font for the word 'marijuana'. What happened? Forgot?
Madeleine Borthwick
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 4:24 p.m.
Oh, great. now the anti-pot-people will jump on this bandwagon and yell "I told you so! I told you so! I told you so!" as a FORMER pot smoker, I can assure whoever reads this that marijuana usage doesn't usually cause this kind of behavior. the worst that happens is that the fridge gets cleaned out...
a2citizen
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 10:44 p.m.
Either the anti-pot people or the anti-sledgehammer people. Either way, they go us surrounded.
Joe_Citizen
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 6:20 a.m.
"Idiocracy" is coming soon to a neighborhood near you! I hope they can start getting along.
leaguebus
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 10:14 p.m.
Was the hammers first name Thor, by any chance?
clownfish
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 1:07 p.m.
Thor is a God, Mjolnir is his hammers name. When will the religious attacks end?
SmokeStack Lightning
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 9:45 p.m.
Criminalize sledge hammers and only criminals will have sledge hammers.
djacks24
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 8:41 p.m.
I wonder if the pot possessing roommate just got too stoned to remember where he put his pot and falsely accused the roommate? Also want to know if this happened at 4:20? Can we get a follow up story? I could use more laughs like this.
Joe_Citizen
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 6:24 a.m.
Obviously you didn't read the last paragraph.
richh
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 8:39 p.m.
wow 40 yrs ago I lived @ huron towers, didnt know it was a drug den. why are 45 an 55 yr olds fighting about drugs they seem kinda old for that behavior over pot. and did anyone get arrested. is a sledgehammer considered a deadly weapon, would that be atempted murder? when i lived thier it never occured to me that i might need a sledgehammer living on the 4th floor. I'm reading a book right now by Stephen king named 11/22/63 where a husband kills his wife and 2 of thier children with a sledgehammer. sounds like huron towers needs to get a few tenants packing.
Unusual Suspect
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 8:57 p.m.
Or it could be, as I said earlier (and thanks for bring it around to that conclusion for me), my experience is that people who use it are losers. Call it mere correlation if you want... but it's reality.
Robert Granville
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 4:08 p.m.
Marijuana does not preclude one from success. Some of the most successful people in the world make the safer choice to smoke marijuana instead of becoming intoxicated on alcohol. It's healthier and there aren't effects the next morning when hard-working, successful people have things to do. The only reason people like you believe in the "marijuana is for losers" idea is because the legal status of marijuana does not allow people with something to lose to stand up and say they make the safer choice.... that and you just don't think logically for whatever reason.
StopCrying
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 2:56 p.m.
You may raise your children however you see fit and I feel like college is the appropriate time for someone to experiment with marijuana. High school is still a bit too young and can definitely side track whatever plans you may have had. That being said I might prefer my kids (whenever I have them) to smoke over drinking. It is far safer in my opinion. My point is I guess that it can definitely cause laziness, however I think that it is more dependent on the person and who they are if they allow themselves to become stagnant. There are plenty of successful people that smoke and plenty of deadbeats, but that goes with everything in life.
Unusual Suspect
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 2:47 p.m.
Worthless, I didn't say I hang out with them, I said I know them. I used to hang out with them, but that was back when I was twenty. We are different now - I progressed in life, while they became lazy and stagnant. These days I hang out with a much better crowd than pot smokers, especially since I have children now and am concerned about people around me. I wouldn't want my children could perceive my tolerance of their nasty habits as condoning them.
Unusual Suspect
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 12:36 p.m.
Mike's observations are similar to my own. The people I know who use "harmless" pot have never progressed past the age of twenty in maturity, education, or career.
Mike
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 9:01 p.m.
This is what happens to people who smoke this harmless drug. They end up being 40 and 50 year olds who need the drug to function on a daily basis but this is probably an isolated incident.
Ron Granger
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 8:18 p.m.
Are the cops sure "sledgehammer" isn't just the nickname for the house bong?
Dutch Thomas
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 7:44 p.m.
repeated thefts by my last roommate resulted in much worse happening to him and he was smart enough to move out that day with out calling the cops.
djacks24
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 8:45 p.m.
I'd say at least a couple of you need to pick better roommates.
WalkingJoe
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 7:40 p.m.
Thanks everyone for the good quips in these comments about this article. Jay Leno or Dave Letterman couldn't do any better.
An Arborigine
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 7:08 p.m.
If the dude had his medicine, he would have been totally mellow and not wielded the lethal weapon. Is it too late to get a "sledgehammer control" proposition on the November ballot? If so, victim could sue the manufacturer of the sledge for medical costs and pain and suffering incurred.
Jon Wax
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:35 p.m.
"the pen is mightier then the sword!" yeah, but a sledge hammer and a running start will sure as hell get your attention! Peace
MRunner73
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:23 p.m.
Most of these remarks are great. Haven't had a good laugh on such a news article. I wonder what John Daily would say. (Add the facial smirks, etc.)
Mick52
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:09 p.m.
So you are living in an apartment and you have some need to have a sledgehammer nearby. Somehow seems an odd tool on hand in an apartment. I wonder if the foot was struck because he missed the guy's head. I understand that when two dope consumers live together raiding each others' stash is not uncommon. Something to consider if you roomie has an addiction.
Robert Granville
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 3:59 p.m.
An addiction? It would be terribly difficult to form an addiction to marijuana. You'd be hard pressed to find two marijuana addicts... let alone two in the same apt.
Bertha Venation
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:25 p.m.
I know Julia Child always recommended keeping a blow torch in the kitchen for browning meringue. Maybe the sledgehammer was to whip eggs.
justcurious
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 5:43 p.m.
What do you need a sledgehammer for if you live in an apartment?
Boo Radley
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 : 4:31 a.m.
It appears he kept it on hand to make adjustments to the television.
WalkingJoe
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 7:37 p.m.
justcurious, I thought the same thing when I read this article but forgot to post the question until I saw your post because I've been laughing so hard at all the other posts.
smokeblwr
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:18 p.m.
Those apartments are near the railroad tracks. I bet he works on the railroad, driving spikes all the livelong day.
Fordie
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:10 p.m.
Troublesome roommates apparently.
Unusual Suspect
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 5:07 p.m.
In order to by sledgehammers, I think people should have to undergo a background check, a 6-month waiting period, and then they should have to register their sledgehammer with the government. And they should be forced to lock them up in a sledgehammer safe that is within an even bigger sledgehammer safe. Then this world would be safe for burn-outs.
Unusual Suspect
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 5:04 p.m.
Pot is "harmless," remember?
Enso
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 5:27 p.m.
Sledgehammers and people aren't though.
genetracy
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 5:04 p.m.
I cannot wait for John Sinclair to weigh in on this one.
Bertha Venation
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:23 p.m.
Where's Phony Joany...er... uhhhh I mean Joan Baez when ou really need her?
genetracy
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 5:02 p.m.
When sledgehammers are outlawed, only outlaws will have sledgehammers.
Bertha Venation
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 9:06 p.m.
HA,,, now YOU'RE Killing ME, Arborani! :)
arborani
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:28 p.m.
Talk about pointless.
Bertha Venation
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:22 p.m.
Oh, those Brits !!
John of Saline
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 5:10 p.m.
You laugh, but Britain's actually considered banning knives with points.
MARK
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 4:42 p.m.
There is honor among theives! the roomate admitted that he took the pot
nickcarraweigh
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 4:42 p.m.
At least they are communicating their true feelings, which many family therapists will tell you is step one on the road to relationship recovery. A heart-warming story, really.
Robert Granville
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 4:30 p.m.
Sounds like he deserved it! The police weren't going to help him recover property they consider to be contraband.
Bertha Venation
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:13 p.m.
Nope.. The cops just keep the good stuff for themselves. :)
MRunner73
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 4:24 p.m.
Sledgehammer being available should be have been enough of a deterrent. Next time, they should share the costs or take turns buying the stuff.
Jon Wax
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:37 p.m.
i heard it was a concealed sledgehammer. did he have a lisence? Peace
drut_ferguson
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 3:59 p.m.
Buzz: successfully harshed.
antikvetch
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 3:55 p.m.
Peter Garbriel, stuck in my head -
Bertha Venation
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:12 p.m.
LOL!
heartbreakM
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 3:52 p.m.
And I thought Ann Arbor was a safe town!!
anti-thug
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 7:27 p.m.
depended on what you say and do...
djacks24
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 4:23 p.m.
It is if you don't steal your roommates stash.
RunsWithScissors
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 3:43 p.m.
I don't believe for a moment that this has anything to do with the legality (or lack thereof) of possession of marijuana. This type of confrontation can happen even when "legal" items are taken by someone. What if it had been an iPod, or a bottle of whiskey, or the last two slices of pizza? The assailant was upset & the roommate was guilty of past thievery - that's the beginning of an ugly confrontation. Note to all roommates: hide the sledgehammer before drinking the last of your roomie's orange juice.
djacks24
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 4:21 p.m.
All those things you mention are "legal" items. Therefor the alternative would have been to call the cops. Maybe the pot was legal? But assuming it probably was not, he couldn't call the cops.
Dog Guy
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 3:43 p.m.
The 45-year-old suspect should have called AAPD and reported the theft . . . it is Ann Arbor after all.
xmo
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 3:20 p.m.
This is why Marijuana is Illegal. People do stupid things for it!
porchbear
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 3:47 p.m.
LOL...you have got to be kidding me. How many people have committed acts of violence for shoes, sunglasses, cell phones, computers, cars, stereos.........the list goes on and on.
KINGofSKA
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 3:50 p.m.
This is one story out of the millions of people who use marijuana. Read facts and research. Don't use AA.com to decide that one person gave it a bad image.
Angry Moderate
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 3:46 p.m.
And they don't do stupid things for alcohol, cars, clothes, and jewelry, right?
Ron Granger
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 3:16 p.m.
"The man took a sledgehammer and first took out his anger on a television" Any update on the condition of the television?
WalkingJoe
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 7:32 p.m.
Probably nothing good was on and that's when he realized his pot was missing.
Jon Wax
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:37 p.m.
it was medflighted to big georges but alas, it passed away a couple hours ago... Peace
Justin Altman
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 2:56 p.m.
Another injury attributable to the Drug War. If this were a legal substance, there would be less incentive for the thieving roommate to steal it when he could just go to the store and buy some. If this were a legal substance, the roommate could report to the police that his roommate had stolen his personal property, instead of taking direct retaliatory action.
Mick52
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:07 p.m.
I used to get pretty upset when I came back to class and found my peanut butter was all gone. Legal or not, you still have to go buy it and the legality does not impact that at all.
smokeblwr
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 3:54 p.m.
I think if his roommate was drinking his beer he would have gotten hammered.
MoonmanDon
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 2:42 p.m.
Must have been some good weed.
smokeblwr
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 2:40 p.m.
So THIS is Reefer Madness! I thought marijuana was the Drug of Peace?
KINGofSKA
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 7:49 p.m.
Marijuana is rarley addictive. Learn the facts before you post.
Woman in Ypsilanti
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 7:22 p.m.
There also was nothing in this article to suggest that the motivation of this crime was that someone needed a fix. It sounded to me like it was an issue with someone who was angry with a roommate who had stolen his belongings.
arborani
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:25 p.m.
Stop it, Bertha - you're killing me.
smokeblwr
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:15 p.m.
@Endo, sorry my mistake. I spaced out in mid-post.
Bertha Venation
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:10 p.m.
Didn't that used to be a singing duo in the '70's? The Captain and Denial?
Enso
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 5:26 p.m.
@smokeblwr. The Nile is a river in Africa. Denial is what you are in when it comes to the reality of marijuana use.
smokeblwr
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 5:22 p.m.
Accepting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. Denial is also a river in Mexico.
E Claire
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 5:19 p.m.
Where in the article does it say he was needing a "fix"? Pot is not addictive and nowhere near as dangerous as alcohol or the drugs prescribed by doctors. Theft was the issue, not addiction.
drut_ferguson
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 4 p.m.
At least he didn't get "the munchies" for a "California Cheeseburger!"
smokeblwr
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 3:53 p.m.
But he was so addicted and needed a fix he sledgehammered his buddy. What more proof is needed to the dangers of this addictive substance?
1201SouthMain
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 3:16 p.m.
You have to smoke it before you peace out!
Woman in Ypsilanti
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 3 p.m.
There was nothing in this article to suggest that the alleged assailant was high on marijuana at the time of this crime.
KINGofSKA
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 2:23 p.m.
If you can't handle smoking, or at simply possessing marijuana, it's not for you.
mike gatti
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 8:31 p.m.
I think he couldn't handle not possessing it.
KINGofSKA
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 2:23 p.m.
*at least
Bill Wilson
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 2:20 p.m.
I thought pot didn't hurt you?
Bertha Venation
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:19 p.m.
i.e.. "You want POT? I"LLL give you POT!!" :)
Bertha Venation
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 6:07 p.m.
Love it too, WiY! I think the only pot that really hurts you is a cast iron one! :)
MRunner73
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 4:26 p.m.
Toooooo funny, Woman in Ypsi. LOL!
Woman in Ypsilanti
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 2:56 p.m.
Pot doesn't hurt you. Sledgehammers hurt you.
Marcus Adams
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 : 1:56 p.m.
And the hits just keep on coming!