Genesee County man rips head off girlfriend's pet duck during domestic violence incident
GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A Genesee County man has been charged in connection to ripping the head off of his girlfriend's duck, authorities said.
Michael Lee Humphries, 49, of Clio, has been charged with first-degree killing/torturing animals, a 10-year felony, resisting and obstructing, a two-year felony, and domestic violence, habitual offender.
According to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, on Saturday, Aug. 5, Humphries and his girlfriend went to a Stevie Nicks concert in Ohio, where they got into an argument.
He then left his girlfriend at the concert but returned to pick her up, and they drove home to their house in Genesee County. The arguing continued.
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson says Humphries had bought his girlfriend two pet ducks in March. The next, while they continued arguing, he allegedly went into the barn and ripped the head off of one of the ducks.
It is alleged that he then threw the duck's body, with the spinal cord still attached to it, into a five-gallon bucket and pushed his girlfriend's head close to it.
"That's domestic violence at an epic level," Swanson said.
Swanson says Humphries has a history of domestic violence, and in 2019, he took a plea in an aggravated stalking case in St. Clair County.
Humphries was given a $5,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court again for his probable cause conference on Aug. 17.
