Hazel Park man in custody after father attacked

HAZEL PARK — A local man stands accused of attempted murder after reportedly slashing his father with a knife.

The suspect is Ronnel Best, 22, from Hazel Park. He has been charged with assault with intent to commit murder, a felony punishable by up to life in prison. He was arraigned Feb. 14 in Hazel Park’s 43rd District Court before Magistrate Erika Morgan, who jailed him on a $500,000 cash bond.

In the event he is released from jail pending future court hearings, he will be required to wear an electronic tether, per the bond conditions. Richard Glanda, Best’s attorney, declined to comment further at press time.

The incident occurred around 5 a.m. the day prior, Feb. 13, when police responded to an incident at the suspect’s home in the 400 block of West Maxlow Avenue. The father, 48, had fled to a neighbor’s home after he was reportedly stabbed in the head and the chest. The neighbor assisted with applying first aid and also made the call to police.

The police, in turn, called in paramedics from the Hazel Park Fire Department, who transported the victim to a hospital where he was treated. At press time, he was said to be in stable condition.

“He received multiple staples for the cuts to his head,” said Brian Buchholz, police chief of Hazel Park. “He also had to be treated for a chest wound where he suffered a collapsed lung.”

The suspect was located at a convenience store in the area of Eight Mile and John R roads, some eight blocks away. Best reportedly asked the clerk to call the police and then waited for them to arrive, at which point he did not resist arrest. Best reportedly admitted to the attack on his father.   

The incident allegedly followed an argument between the father and son. A butcher knife with a 6-inch blade appears to have been used and was retrieved by police at the scene.

Best, who had a clean criminal record prior to the incident, reportedly told investigators that he felt bullied by his father, and that he has experienced blackouts. In recent years, police have visited his home on other matters, including family disputes and mental health calls.

“Overall, there wasn’t much police contact there,” Buchholz said of past cases. “The son didn’t live there permanently — he was in and out of the home.”

He said he advises residents to seek help for loved ones who may be troubled or exhibiting violent or aggressive tendencies.

“I’m sure the family here didn’t expect this to happen, but if you have concerns about someone’s behavior, you can reach out to your local police department. And if you’re not comfortable with talking to us, you can always try hospitals and mental health facilities,” Buchholz said.

He added, “I commend the officers who worked this case, and not only our own — we did get assistance from others like Ferndale and Royal Oak. I commend them all for putting themselves in harm’s way, not knowing if this violent subject was going to act out towards them. It takes a lot of courage to respond, knowing that this individual just stabbed his own dad. No one knew what he might do to us. It takes a special kind of person to run towards harm, rather than run from it.”