Roseville police searching for man who stabbed 2 dogs, killing one

ROSEVILLE, Mich. – Police in Roseville are looking for a man who stabbed two dogs and killed one of them.

18-year-old Versharria Brown said she still can’t believe her 10-month-old puppy, Jinks, was stabbed in the head and killed after it got out of the backyard by a person believed to be a neighbor.

“I’ve never seen a dog cry. I never really witnessed something like that. When I turned this corner right here, he was on the ground. I think he was wiping off the knife,” said Brown.

Jinks was with his sister Sage who was also stabbed when the two escaped. When Brown finally caught up to her dogs, she noticed a familiar face, angry. But had no idea there was an issue til she saw her dog’s body.

“I went over there, and then his head was gushing blood, and he just started panting. The other man was still yelling from the side, and I’m like they’re puppies. They are only 10 months. They don’t bite or nothing,” said Brown.

The stabbing happened in front of Brad Somervell’s home. He was the one that called 911.

“There was a gentleman walking his dog, and the dog was wrapped around him a few times. Obviously distressed. He had a pocket knife out; I saw there’s blood on it. Said they came up, attacked him and his dog, and he stabbed one of the dogs a few times,” Somervell recalled.

Local 4 was told the man took off and hasn’t been seen since. The “N-word” and other racial slurs were used so many times in the initial altercation - Brown’s mother, Veronica, believes it may have been different motivations.

“Everything is just ‘Negro this’ and ‘stupid B’ this, and that’s when he took off running,” Veronica Taylor added.

One neighbor who didn’t want to go on camera was there to see the attack’s aftermath and said the dogs wouldn’t hurt a fly.

“The female dog that was still alive was stabbed twice. Most nicest dogs you’d ever meet. I was petting her. She just wanted love and attention. She was licking my hands and nibbling my fingers. Nicest puppies I’ve ever seen,” said the anonymous neighbor.

To make matters worse, these were emotional support animals. The suspect is described as a bald white man with a scruffy goatee between the ages of 60 and 65. He’s believed to be in the area.

If you’d like to help, click here for the GoFundMe page.

Anyone with any information about the incident should call Roseville Police Department at (586) 775-2100.


About the Authors:

Victor Williams joined Local 4 News in October of 2019 after working for WOIO in Cleveland, OH, WLOX News in Biloxi, MS, and WBBJ in Jackson, TN. Victor developed a love for journalism after realizing he was a great speaker and writer at an early age.