St. Clair Shores police say a 54-year-old man has been arrested and charged for assaulting a teenager.
It happened in a driveway near 13 Mile and Harper.
Ray Taylor says he was crossing when a vehicle nearly hit him.
Taylor and the driver exchanged words. That's when police say that driver, 54-year-old Kent Gallagher, hopped out of his vehicle with a weapon and attacked the teen.
“He had his hands around my neck,” Taylor says. “You can probably still see the scratches”
The 16-year-old Taylor was walking home when Gallagher was trying to pull into the driveway - near the corner of 13 mile and harper.
The two had a verbal exchange. Police say Gallagher hopped out of his vehicle and attacked the teen with metal anti-theft club.
For Taylor - it was a terrifying experience. He says he was able to grab the club. That’s when he says Gallagher struck him repeatedly in the face
“He landed 3 or 4 punches on me,” Taylro says. “That’s where I got this black eye.”
Today, inside a Saint Clair Shores courtroom, Gallagher was arraigned on felony assault charges.
After his arraignment and being bonded out of jail, 7 Action News caught up to Gallagher outside the courthouse to see what he had to say about the altercation the teen.
The detective on the scene say this was an unfortunate incident that never should have happened and questions why a much older and bigger adult felt it was necessary to assault a much smaller teenager.
“I don’t understand what the defendant in this case was thinking,” says Detective Brad Benac. “He was quite a bit older than the victim in this case - definitely something that could have been avoided for sure.’
As for Taylor - lesson learned. Next time he plans to walk away because you never know what people are capable of.
“I know there’s people out there now that they don’t think straight and don’t care,” he says.
If Gallagher is convicted of felony assault, he faces up to four years behind bars.
