Surviving victim in deadly Northfield Township shooting speaks in court
The Brief
Two suspects in the deadly Northfield Township shooting appeared in court on Wednesday.
There, the surviving victim of the alleged attack took the stand to talk about the incident.
WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Two men facing kidnapping and homicide charges appeared in court on Wednesday. There, a husband who had lost his wife and father-in-law spoke in front of them.
Big picture view
Jeffrey Bernhard talked about the night he saw his wife alive for the final time in front of Gregory Callhan and Keith Finley.
Two men, along with Shuvonne Vinson, face homicide and kidnapping charges in the deadly New Year's Day shooting in Washtenaw County.
"I distinctly remember hearing my wife scream," Bernhard said. "It was a scream that I will never forget. It was a scream of terror."
What they're saying
Investigators say that on Jan. 1, the three suspects drove to the Bernhard home on Nollar Bend in Northfield Township, shot and killed Bernhard's wife and father-in-law, and then took Bernhard's 10-year-old biological daughter and foster daughter.
Bernhard says it was over a dispute with their 4-year-old foster daughter, who is Shuvonne Vinson's biological daughter.
Bernhard says he was shot in the chest, head, and face.
"I don't know too often when people are shot in the head that they survive. So, I was expecting that in moments I would be dead. I'm a person of faith. I believe in God and in Jesus Christ," said Bernhard. "Literally, as my head was on that floor, I prayed, and I said, 'God help me.'"
Bernhard said he passed out briefly. When he woke up, he saw his wife and father-in-law dead. He eventually went to the neighbor's home for help.
Police rescued the children.
Bernhard was reunited with his daughter days after the violent confrontation.
The Source
FOX 2 was at the court hearing and used information from previous reports.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Gypsy-Rose Blanchard calls daughter a new beginning on anniversary of mom's death
On Monday, June 9, Gypsy-Rose Blanchard took to Instagram to commemorate the day that has two meanings. Alongside a photo of herself and her partner Ken Urker holding up sonogram images from when she was pregnant with their daughter Aurora, Blanchard wrote that June 9 is 'ONE day, TWO meanings.' 'One year ago, we saw Aurora for the first time in this sonogram and my heart has never been the same,' the new mom wrote. 'She is my light, my joy, my greatest blessing.' Blanchard and Urker announced the birth of their daughter, Aurora Raina, on New Year's Day. However, June 9 'also marks 10 years since the death of' Blanchard's mom, Clauddine 'Dee Dee' Blanchard. Dee Dee Blanchard was killed in 2015. During her 2018 testimony, Gypsy-Rose Blanchard admitted she 'wanted to be free of her' mother's hold on her, and persuaded her then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, to kill Dee Dee Blanchard. 'I talked him into it,' she said during the trial, NPR reported. According to Blanchard's attorney, Michael Stanfield, Dee Dee Blanchard had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, now known as factitious disorder imposed on another. The Cleveland Clinic categorizes factitious disorder imposed on another as a 'mental health condition where you pretend that someone within your care is sick when they aren't. It's a type of abuse.' As a result of her alleged involvement in her mother's death, Gypsy-Rose Blanchard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, according to ABC News. She was sentenced to 10 years of prison, but released in December 2023 after serving more than 8 years. As Gypsy-Rose Blanchard continued her statement, she said her mom was 'a woman known not for love, but for the abuse she inflicted on me. That pain shaped my life in ways that led to tragic choices, consequences, and years we BOTH can never get back.' 'I won't pretend she was a good person,' the 33-year-old continued. 'And I won't pretend I've been perfect either. But Aurora… she represents a new beginning.' Gypsy-Rose Blanchard says her daughter is now 'a chance to break every cycle. A chance to raise someone with love, truth, and freedom. A chance to give her a life better than what I had and better than my past choices.' 'I may carry the past, but she carries my future,' the mom continued. 'And I pray that who she becomes will be greater than who I was, and greater than the woman who came before me.'
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Missouri man crashes into Michigan State Police vehicle while under influence of drugs
The Brief An MSP trooper had someone pulled over on I-94 in Southwest Michigan when their vehicle was hit by a driver under the influence of drugs. The Missouri man was arrested. No injuries were reported. BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Police say a man from Missouri was under the influence of drugs when he crashed into a Michigan State Police vehicle during a traffic stop Sunday night. According to MSP, a trooper had a vehicle pulled over on westbound I-94 near Mile Marker 25 in Berrian County's Lincoln Township when a man veered off the road and hit the patrol vehicle around 11:10 p.m. The trooper was standing outside the vehicle and was not hurt. No one else was injured, either, police said. Police discovered the 33-year-old suspect was under the influence of drugs and was arrested. Dig deeper Police said this is the second crash involving an MSP vehicle in the district, which encompasses Southwest Michigan, in a week. Michigan's Move Over law requires drivers to slow down and move over for police, fire, EMS, and road service workers, including tow trucks and MDOT courtesy vehicles that have their emergency lights activated. The Source Michigan State Police provided this information.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
After 9K domestic violence calls in 2 years, Warren PD unveils Operation Cycle Break
The Brief Warren PD has responded to 9,000+ domestic violence calls in the past two years. A new program, Operation Cycle Break, gives support to survivors Police now has to follow up on reports in person instead of by phone. WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Warren police have responded to over 9,000 calls related to domestic violence in the past two years. "We've learned that a clear majority of cases in our city have had a domestic violence nexus - including many of our homicides," said Warren PD Commissioner Eric Hawkins. Dig deeper Domestic violence is a crime that's often underreported and often a generational, vicious cycle."Children who grow up in an abusive home often learn to accept those patterns of behavior," said Dr. Sharman Davenport, Turning Pointe Macomb. "They either use anger and abuse as a way of coping and controlling their world, or in other cases, they may become the victim, because that's what they've seen." "How can we break the cycle? That's where we came up with this name," Hawkins said. It is called Operation Cycle Break — uniting police, prosecutors, judges, researchers at Wayne State University and counselors at Turning Point to tackle domestic violence. The help provides everything from ensuring survivors have immediate support, to making mandatory counseling a bail condition. "We've never seen anything like this, I've never seen anything like this," said Chief Judge John Chmura, 37th District Court. "And I don't know of any court that's done anything like this in my 29 years in the bench," In the past when police would follow up on reports of domestic violence, it would just be through a phone call. Now with Operation Cycle Break, they are meeting in person. "It's going to change the way they approach domestic violence cases and it will really help survivors feel important," said Dr. Davenport. "They'll feel what's going on with them is a crime and that somebody's willing to step up and do something about it." They say it has already seen positive results. Since the initiative launched around 30 days ago, the city has seen more warrant requests granted, enrolled 20 defendants into counseling — and reached 37 survivors who may have previously slipped through the cracks. "This will make a huge difference in the lives of survivors in Warren," Davenport said. "Because now they will have the opportunity to be heard and make sure their cases move forward." The Source Information for this story was taken from Friday's Warren police press conference.
