Three arrested in connection with beating of Army veteran

15 minutes ago

By David Jesse

Detroit Free Press

Published: April 6, 2014

Three people were arrested Saturday in connection to the beating of a 25-year-old U.S. Army veteran outside a 7-Eleven store in Westland, according to a news release from Westland police.

No details on the people arrested were released but police plan to forward a request for charges to the Wayne County Prosecutor.

Police said tips from the public helped lead to the arrests.

Adam Wagner of Livonia told police he was beaten by men who were making anti-military remarks after he told them to stop bothering a store clerk.

The Livonia man was in the store at 160 S. Venoy about 2 a.m. Thursday morning when three men in their 20s began to harass him, said Westland police.

The men had been "giving the clerk a hard time" and the Livonia vet told them to "leave her alone," Westland Police Chief Jeff Jedrusik told the Free Press on Friday.

The men followed the victim outside to the parking lot. The suspects noticed military insignias on the victim's car and then began to make insulting remarks about him and the U.S. military, Jedrusik said. They began punching and kicking him.

The attackers ran off. The victim followed them while trying to call police, but the attackers beat him up once more, knocking him to the ground, punching and kicking him again, said police.

"They beat the heck out of him," Jedrusik said. "They beat him pretty bad."

The suspects may have been "either intoxicated or just causing trouble," he said.

The victim got help from a resident who called the police. Paramedics took him to a hospital and he was released later. He suffered lacerations to his face and mouth, head injuries and a broken nose.

Staff Writer Niraj Warikoo contributed to this story.