PONTIAC – Police entered a bloody scene in Pontiac after a man beat his wife with a hammer over a request for a divorce, police said.
Police arrested 55-year-old Patrick Lee Johnson in connection with the assault and he was arraigned on attempted murder charges Friday.
Johnson’s wife, Karen, was allegedly asking Johnson for money to put toward a divorce Thursday night. Police said Johnson became upset and began beating his wife with a hammer, causing critical injuries.
“I mean, he had hit her with a hammer over and over and over,” said Oakland County Sheriff, Mike Bouchard.
“It's difficult for me to understand how you can at one point profess to love someone and then at some point in your life take a hammer to them.”
A neighbor said police are frequently seen at the couple’s home, and that they’re known in the neighborhood for their domestic disputes.
“I believe it was a domestic situation. There was a lot of screaming and yelling,” said Elida Anderlie, a neighbor. "There was a lot of throwing things, banging on the cars, screaming. But it didn't last very long. The cops came right away.”
Johnson’s wife Karen remains in extremely critical and grave condition at the hospital. If things take a turn for the worse, charges against Johnson could be upgraded from attempted murder to murder.
“You should never hit someone like that, just break up and move on,” Bouchard said.
Johnson has two prior charges, one for making threats and another for assault.