DETROIT – Detroit Police confirm to Local 4 that an internal affairs investigation is under way after a woman went to a near-by police station to file an assault report and was told by an officer at the desk that she had to call-in her report.
Chanita Vincent, 42, said she was choked by her boyfriend a few blocks away from her house and the Schaeffer Police Station.
She went to the station before it closed at 4 p.m. on Monday but was told she would have to file a report with the telephone reporting system by using the phones located in the doorway of the station.
The women reportedly waited on the phone several minutes and when no one picked up she drove to her home near Detroit's west side, where her boyfriend attacked her again.
"I seen him shoot three times and run towards the van," said the victim's mother, who does not want to be identified.
One of the bullets hit Vincent above her eye.
The victim was taken to the hospital were she underwent surgery. She has since been released from the hospital and is now in hiding.
"I sent my daughter away. I don't want her here," her mother told Local 4.
Vincent's mother calls this a case of "fatal attraction."
Police are looking for the boyfriend, described only as between 18 and 20 years old.
Once found, he could be charged with attempted murder.
"We wish it didn't happen," said Detroit Police Sgt. Eren Stephens. "Why didn't she call 911 after the assault? Making a report would not stop the shooting."
The Detroit police went to reduced hours due to budget cuts but, precincts are supposed to be open for walk-in reports from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
During the after-hours residence must use the telephone reporting service.
Local 4 reported on at least one other incident where a citizen wanted to report a crime at the central district office.
In this instant, the precinct doors were locked at 2:30 and Local 4 was told the precinct doors were locked because it was shift change.