Police Investigate Separate Assault Complaints at West Bloomfield High School
Both incidents — including one that involved an alleged ethnic slur — were reported to police last week and are under review by the department's youth division.
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Ethnic Slur Alleged in Assault Report
West Bloomfield Township Police officers took an assault report from a West Bloomfield High School student who said another student used an ethnic slur and a derrogatory comment about homosexuals while punching him at a community basketball event Saturday, reports said.
The victim, a 16-year-old West Bloomfield resident, came to police headquarters with his parents on Feb. 16 and said he was punched during an altercation with a 17-year-old boy during a league event at West Bloomfield High School at about 10:30 a.m., Lt. Tim Diamond said.
An ongoing feud between the boys lead to a challenge to fight at the event and both shoved each other before the alleged assailant compared the victim to an animal with an ethnic connotation, reports said. The assailant also uttered a derogatory comment about homosexuals and they pushed each other again, before he struck the victim in the face with his fist.
The victim was bloodied and lost a tooth.
Police have identified the suspect and the investigation is ongoing by detectives with the department's youth bureau, Diamond said.
Victim Injured After Powder-Puff Game
A 16-year-old girl said she was seriously injured when pushed to the ground after a powder-puff football game in October, Lt. Tim Diamond said.
The victim, a West Bloomfield resident and WBHS student told police she played in the game on Oct. 10, 2012 and was pushed from behind while leaving the field when the game concluded, reports said. The girl said she experienced extreme pain in her leg and knee, and went to Henry Ford Hospital with her parents.
Reports said the girl suffered torn ligaments and a broken tibia, which required surgery. The victim said she did not know who pushed her at the time, but that she later found out when the suspect, a 17-year-old Pontiac girl, apologized. Reports indicated there was an attempt to resolve 'the situation' without getting police involved, which led to the delay in the incident report, Diamond said.
Further details were unavailable. Diamond said the report was forwarded to investigators in the department's youth bureau.
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