LAKE ST. CLAIR, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 21-year-old man is recovering after being stabbed in the back during Raft Off, a popular boat gathering on Lake St. Clair, on Saturday. The suspect, 26-year-old Salem Asmar, was arraigned Monday — the same day he was due in court for a separate felony case in Oakland County.
Watch Brett Kast's report below
The stabbing happened in Muscamoot Bay near Harsens Island, where the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office said a record crowd had gathered for the annual event. Deputies said the large turnout brought with it a number of altercations, including the alleged stabbing.
Witness Allen Cherri was in the water nearby when the confrontation unfolded. He said Asmar wrongfully accused his friend of throwing a beer can at him.
"He confronted him thinking it was him because it's a big crowd, he didn't see who did it but (victim) was the closest to him, and that's when the altercation happened. Called him a bunch of racial stuff, they got into an argument, that's when he pulled (a knife) out of his swimming trunks in the water and stabbed him in the back," Cherri said.
Cherri said Asmar had a 4-inch switchblade. After the stabbing, the victim was brought onto a nearby boat, where bystanders helped cover the wound while first responders arrived.
"A bunch of guys did surround him (suspect) so Salem couldn't get away, and then the police pulled up on their jet skis and got him in custody pretty quick, so they did a good job doing that," Cherri said.
Asmar has a lengthy criminal history that includes multiple assault charges, including one involving a firearm. Most recently, in January, he was arrested in connection with a break-in at a marijuana dispensary in Hazel Park. While fleeing police during a high-speed chase, he allegedly crashed into a police vehicle. The following day, he posted a $100,000 bond. He was due back in court for that case at the same time as Monday's arraignment.
72nd District Court Magistrate Dennis J. Rickert addressed those concerns during the arraignment.
"I see a couple things that are concerning to me, one is that he's currently on bond in Oakland County for a fleeing and eluding, I'm concerned the fact that he's on bond and he picks up another major felony charge," Rickert said.
The magistrate set a $100,000 cash surety bond. As a habitual 3rd offender, Asmar could face up to 20 years in prison.
The St. Clair County Sheriff's Office also reported that 50 people were left at Raft Off without a boat ride home, and that 5 people were found so intoxicated that they could have drowned.
"It's a messed up world we live in where you can't even go have fun with your friends without somebody doing that, I mean you're in the water it's not like somewhere you need to be carrying a knife anyways," Cherri said.
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