A 28-year-old Milford woman filed a police report accusing local musician Kid Rock of physically assaulting her at his Independence Township home last week.
‘We’re handling this the same as any other assault case,? said Lt. Dale LaBair, commander of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department Independence Township substation
Sgt. Matt Baldes is assigned to the case, LaBair said. And, although Rock was a high-profile supporter of Sheriff Mike Bouchard’s attempt to unseat U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow in 2006, Rock was not given special treatment.
To see a picture of Rock and Bouchard go to flickr.com. Click Here.
To see a WXYZ Channel 7 News report on Rock’s support of Bouchard, go to YouTube.com. Click Here.
‘The only difference is that we realize high-profile people are going to attract a lot of attention,? he said.
Although it generally depends on the degree of injury in an assault’serious injuries would warrant sending someone out on overtime ? deputies do what they can to follow-up on a complaint when it is filed, he said.
The case is then assigned to someone in the department who attempts to contact and interview the alleged offender.
‘Anyone has a right to say no,? he said. ‘No one has to talk to us. If they refuse, we’ll just do what we can to base a case on medical evidence, if there is any, pictures, or statements from the victim and any witnesses.?
Both the victim and her male companion have filled out witness statements, said LaBair. As of Tuesday morning, Rock had not yet been interviewed.
According to reports, the incident occurred when the woman declined an invitation to spend the night after she and her friend shared drinks and listened to music with the 36-year-old singer, whose real name is Robert Ritchie.
The woman claimed she and the friend were invited to the home after running into Ritchie at the Clarkston Union, March 8. The group was listening to tracks from Ritchie’s upcoming album in his home, the woman said, when she announced plans to return home to her child.
Ritchie, who allegedly wanted the woman to stay the night, became loud and verbally aggressive as she headed for the door, the woman said.
The woman told police once she got outside, Ritchie grabbed her by the back of the neck twice and pushed her forcibly toward the car, causing her to fall into a snow bank. She also stated that her nose was hit, although she was unsure when or how.
The woman declined medical attention, but showed deputies where she was allegedly grabbed during the incident. The reporting deputy noted no visible marks on the woman during the interview.
Representatives of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department had not talked with Ritchie as of March 12.
‘We like to get both sides of the story before we do anything,? said Oakland County Undersheriff Michael McCabe. ‘Right now you’ve got an allegation and that’s all it is’an allegation of an assault that occurred. Until we interview (Ritchie) I’m not going to make any comment other than to say, yes, a report was filed and we’re investigating it.?
The woman claimed she met the singer at the Clarkston Union about a year ago, and said the two often talked when they ran into one another at the downtown Clarkston restaurant.
Ritchie’s attorney, William Horton, did not return a call seeking comment, and no charges had been filed as of Tuesday.
Widely known by stage name Kid Rock, Ritchie’sometimes referred to as Detroit’s Favorite Son’is a popular and award-winning musician with a respected, difficult-to-define style crisscrossing through several genres. He’s also known as a staunch supporter of United States military troops.