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John Morin stories
John Morin is a former Lansing resident who now lives in Holt.
Assault at apartment complex
Twenty years ago, I was was the top maintenance guy at Woodbridge Manor on Edgewood Blvd in Lansing. On February 19, 2000, after working a full day at the apartment complex, I returned home to my unit. As I went up the outside steps I heard some people talking by my slider door. I looked and observed 3 females picking up chunks of ice and tossing them at my slider. I have never had 3 girls mad at me before, and I didn't know them, so I went over to them and asked what was up. They did not know me neither. I asked why they were throwing ice at the slider. They stated they were going to kick the girls ass in the apartment. I asked why; they just shrugged. I then identified myself as an employee and that damage to the door could cost upwards of a thousand dollars. I pointed to the managers office and suggested that if there was a problem, they should file a complaint. They seemed agreeable. I did tell them that I could not just stand there and watch them break the window. We all walked away, I figured my approach was respectful and I succeeded in having them deal with it another way. When they followed me up the steps, I stopped and informed them that it was my apartment and that I was sorry if anyone said or did anything disrespectful. That I was going to find out what happened and deal with it. I turned back around, went up the steps, and as I entered the doorway I was pushed, causing me to trip. I caught my balance and retreated to a corner as I was being punched by all three females. I was able to cover up, ducking and bobbing, allowing their punches to land on arms and my body, covering my face at all times. Physically, I am in very good shape. They could have swung till tired and I would not have been hurt. After what was probably 50 or more punches, the one facing me on the right suddenly grabbed inside my arm at my elbow and dropped with all her weight, causing me to lower my right arm for only a second. Immediately the person facing me hit me in the face breaking my nose. Blood went everywhere, some in my eyes. I was able to bring my arm back up to ward off more hits, as they steadily kept hitting. After another 30-40 hits, the person on my left did the same thing, causing my left arm to drop for a second, and once again a shot to my nose. This time as I righted myself, my left knee gave out for a second; I almost went down. And they were still hitting me. In fear for my life, I timed a left, followed with a right cross. Two were on the floor, the third running out the door. I could see through the blood in my eyes that the two on the ground were at my mercy. I had a choice; I could have hurt both of them right then. It would have been justified. In my world though, you don't beat on women. I turned and went to my apartment to get medical attention.
I had only met Sheri a few weeks earlier. We were not dating or living together. [John and Sheri have been together now for 20 years.] At the time I was just trying to help her out. I did not know that she had a warrant for a driving violation and was on probation at that time. Actually, I wasn't totally sure her name was Sheri or Shannon, who turned out to be her sister. A tenant, last name Ford, had heard a scuffle while on the phone with the property management. He alerted them and they came running. His statement [in the police incident report] that I was yelling or calling for help is incorrect. I never made a sound. My nose has been broken on a number of occasions, but so was my jaw in 2 locations. The last thing I would do is open my mouth and chance getting my jaw broken. When I entered my apartment, Sheri was there with Debbie Lincoln, her sister in law, with a young child, and Art, a black man they both knew. That was the first time I had ever met them. Before anyone could tell me why, the property managers, Jim and Judy Elkins and Tom Brewer came into my apartment and told everyone to leave, they had called the police. When LPD Officer Forbis arrived [Officer Robert Forbis was hired 5/17/1999], I could not tell him anything other than what I experienced. The why, who, where, I had no clue. I had stopped the bleeding, and other than 2 shots to the nose, I had no injuries. The officer was done with me and went to the managers to find out what they knew. He cleared me to leave. I was in my truck headed to urgent care just to get checked out when the officer ran back up to me, stating that I have insurance and he has called for an ambulance. I asked him why. Why would I run up an insurance bill over a simple broken nose? He told me that if I drove myself to urgent care he would arrest me for driving impaired. [Why did Officer Forbis insist on ambulance?] Management had told him I had insurance. Then he says he has another call to go on in the complex, and if my truck is gone when he comes back, he will hunt me down and arrest me. He left, I took the ambulance. Later I was told because I had punched out from work, my insurance would not cover most if any of the insurance claims, which were in the thousands. I ended up going to Greenlawn. They took some x rays, gave me Tylenol and set up an appointment to see a specialist at a later date. I had to walk home.
It was weeks later that I saw Sheri again and learned why the 3 women were throwing ice chunks at my door. Before that, a few days after the assault, Det. Gill came to visit at night to go over the assault. [Detective James Gill retired at age 55 on 7/13/2013.] After I invited him in to sit down, he first looked at me, demanding to know what I hit the two girls with. I was a little shocked at his comment, but I told him that I hit them with my fists. He said one girl had a black eye and the other a fat lip. Sure, I had a small internal smile. Then he said, who am I to hit women. I told him I only defended myself when I was concerned that I would get hurt. That I had been hit over 100 times before I swung back. He then said that he had dropped the charges on the two younger girls, and did I have a problem with that? Hell yes I had a problem with that. Then he played the race card on me, saying that I had it coming. What? He said I did call them n......s? I told him I was not a racist and never disrespected anyone at any time. That ended our conversation. [John obtained the police report for this incident in 2015. The handwritten notes on it are his.]
At a later date, Sharon Roper was to be sentenced for the assault. I went to that sentencing. The assistant prosecutor came and introduced himself and told me it was my lucky day. I asked why. He said that he had worked out a deal, I would get $500.00 that day after the sentencing. Holding a fistful of medical bills totaling in the thousands, I asked him what I was supposed to do about them. He did what every politician or person in authority with the city of Lansing would do. Not knowing what to say, he turned his back and walked away. After sentencing I asked where I was supposed to go for payment. But he had forgot to tell that to the judge that I was there to accept payment, so the check was in the mail. After making payments for some time to collection agencies, I pitched a bitch with the city, and many of the medical bills were forgiven through them. And I did eventually receive the $500.
So, what was this all about? Art and Debbie with the baby bumped into Sharon Roper while going through the doorway. Sharon became verbally abusive towards Debbie when they bumped. Art made some comments trying to calm the situation. They were coming to visit Sheri. Sheri heard the altercation and when she opened the door, Sharon was abusive towards her also. Sharon challenged her and Sheri stepped out and confronted her. Sheri pushed Sharon's head into the wall. Angry, Sharon left to get help from her two adult daughters in order to beat Sheri. I showed up right after she returned with help, not knowing anything as to what had happened. Talking with others, I have been told that I am not the first or last to be attacked this way by Sharon Roper. I also learned later that Sharon Roper was living with another tenant in that building by the name of Doug Lake. And that Doug Lake had been in a relationship with Sheri at a previous time. The result was Doug Lake being evicted over the actions of Sharon Roper. [Sharon Roper died 10/18/2017. Obituary]
When I read the garbage that they called a police report, it makes me sick to my stomach. And after I began compiling all of the police reports over the years, I find Det. Gill is prominent in nearly all of them.
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