CLARE, Michigan — Documents obtained by 13 ON YOUR SIDE through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) give a look inside a dust-up between members of the Michigan Republican Party last month.
The alleged incident took place at the Doherty Hotel in Clare on July 8.
13 ON YOUR SIDE obtained several documents from the FOIA request, including:
- Police report of the incident
- Victim interview summary and formal statement
- Suspect interview summary and formal statement
- Multiple witness statements
- Photos of injuries
At this point in the investigation, all of the documents are allegations. The initial police report was submitted to the Clare County Prosecutor Michelle J. Ambrozaitis for review and was sent back to the City Police Department for further witness statements and interviews.
The City of Clare Administration says that Ambrozaitis is currently on vacation and she will review the case when she returns in about a week.
The incident occurred during a closed-door meeting of the Michigan GOP Executive Committee.
Mark L. DeYoung, Clare County Republican Party Chair, alleges that he was assaulted by James Chapman, a Michigan GOP Delegate.
During an interview directly following the incident, DeYoung told investigators from the Clare Police Department that he was attending a closed-door meeting of the executive committee of the Michigan GOP just prior to the assault.
DeYoung said that they were not letting people into the meeting who weren't part of the committee and that during the meeting he heard the door rattling.
DeYoung told investigators that he got up to determine if someone was trying to get into the room using a key and when he arrived at the door, he saw "a big finger in the window."
DeYoung then told police that he opened the door and was immediately kicked in the crotch. He then said that he took off his glasses and the alleged suspect (Chapman) charged him and knocked him on his back. DeYoung claims that he injured his back on the arm of a chair when he fell. He also said his dentures were broken as a result of the fall.
DeYoung told police he would like to press charges against Chapman.
Chapman was also interviewed by police directly following the incident, but his story differed from DeYoung's account.
Chapman told investigators that no fight occurred in the hotel, but later backtracked from that statement.
Chapman's account begins with him describing that he was up against the door outside of the meeting, trying to listen in. He said that a man came up to the door and accused him of "f-----g with the door."
Chapman then told police that the man threatened to "kick his ass," and he replied by telling the man to "come outside and do it."
Chapman claims that the man then came outside and attempted to fight him. He told investigators that he "didn't really challenge the guy to a fight, but when the guy told him he would kick his ass, [Chapman] told him to do it."
Chapman alleges that the man, who he later identifies as DeYoung in a statement, came out ready to hit him, so he grabbed his legs and took him to the ground.
Three witnesses provided statements, but none of them were able to determine who started the fight.
One witness claims that DeYoung opened the door and was standing in a "kung foo fighter pose."
Another witness claims that Chapman was told "don't f-----g look in here" by DeYoung, similar to Chapman's account of the incident.
And the third witness said they weren't sure, but thought that Chapman "touched" DeYoung in some way when the door was opened.
Both Chapman and DeYoung later sent full statements to police days after the incident.
DeYoung's statement includes the accusation that he thought Chapman was reaching for a weapon before "he takes his glasses off and charges me like a football player or a WWE wrestler, tackling me and forces me backwards onto a chair and table sitting next to the stairwell headed to the restroom downstairs."
DeYoung also claims he suffered stress fractures in his spine, bruised ribs and muscles, and a tender groin following the fight.
Chapman's statement claims that DeYoung swung at Chapman first and that he stopped his assault by wrestling him to the ground.
Chapman says he wishes to pursue assault charges against DeYoung.
The incident is still under investigation and the Clare County Prosecutor will review the case and issue charges where applicable after the investigation.
Editors Note: When we first published this article, we said that Mark L. DeYoung was the Allegan County Commissioner for District 2, but that was incorrect. Mark L. DeYoung is the Clare County Republican Party Chair. Mark DeYoung is the Allegan County Commissioner for District 2. We apologize for the confusion.
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