Woman’s lip bitten off in Hazel Park assault case

HAZEL PARK — A local woman had to have part of her lip reattached following an incident where her boyfriend allegedly bit her.

The suspect is Troy Marcell Williams, 29, of Hazel Park. He was arraigned in the 43rd District Court on May 7, charged with assault with intent to maim — a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison — and domestic violence third offense, punishable by up to five years.

At press time, Williams was in the process of receiving a court-appointed attorney. He was being held on a $50,000 cash bond in Oakland County Jail. As part of the bond conditions, if he tries to pay the bond, he is prohibited from contacting the woman or returning to the house where the incident reportedly occurred, and if released from jail, he must also wear a GPS tether.

He was already on probation for a second domestic violence case in Madison Heights, and for aggravated domestic assault in a Macomb County case, although it was unclear whether those cases also involve the same woman. Williams was previously convicted for assaulting and resisting police,  as well as for a retail fraud case and two other cases involving drugs.

The attack allegedly occurred in the 23000 block of Carlisle Avenue in the afternoon on May 4. Hazel Park dispatchers received a call from the victim’s mother. The woman lives near the victim and had received text messages from her daughter telling her that there was an emergency.

When police arrived at the scene, they found the mother and daughter, 29, standing across the street from the victim’s home. The victim was using a towel to nurse a wound to her face, and she struggled to speak to the officers.

Police quickly learned why: a piece of the victim’s lip had been bitten off. The victim’s mother had reportedly recovered it, placing the piece of lip on a tray of ice to preserve it. The victim was taken by paramedics to a local hospital, where the lip has since been reattached.

The suspect was arrested at the scene. Police said Williams initially claimed that a dog had bitten his girlfriend, but that there was allegedly no evidence to support his story.

Williams and the woman live together at the home, and police said the victim had recently returned to Hazel Park after being away with family. The victim reportedly told police that she and her boyfriend had been arguing when she asked him to leave, at which point he refused and attacked.

When asked how the altercation played out, Hazel Park Police Chief Brian Buchholz said they were still investigating.

“That’s one detail I don’t really know right now. It wasn’t described to us in detail how exactly it happened,” Buchholz said. “It may have happened quickly, and she may not have realized what was going on. But that type of assault is just not common, for someone to bite another person’s lip to the point of pulling it off their face. It’s just crazy.”

The chief said that the victim has been recovering.

“She is out of the hospital now, and doing pretty well,” Buchholz said.

He added that help is available for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Signs of domestic violence include not only physical violence but also psychological violence, such as using fear tactics to control what a person is allowed to do. The forms of abuse can even extend to one person tightly controlling the finances of another or isolating them from their family and friends.

“There are resources available outside of the police department that can help not just women in these situations, but any victims of domestic violence. For example, there is HAVEN in Pontiac,” Buchholz said.

He noted that sometimes it’s difficult for victims to reach out for help because they fear retaliation by their abusive partner. But police departments can handle such calls discreetly.

“If people see red flags (in their relationship) and don’t know where to start looking for help, they can call their local police department, and we will help connect them to the right resources,” Buchholz said.

Hazel Park police can be reached by calling (248) 542-6161. HAVEN of Oakland County, located at 801 Vanguard Drive in Pontiac, can be reached by calling (248) 334-1284.