Donald Hazel Swinson arrested for pulling gun

Donald Hazel Swinson, 76, of Sumpter Township was arraigned Feb. 17 at 34th District Court on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon (felonious assault) and weapons felony firearm (using a weapon to commit a felony).
Nelson Po, who lives next door to Swinson, said Swinson came after him at their lot line the afternoon of Feb. 15 and pointed a gun at him after Po had a verbal argument with Swinson’s granddaughter over the side-yard fence concerning her dogs. Po said the granddaughter also pointed a gun at him, but she has not been charged.
Swinson’s probable cause conference is set for March 1 at 34th District Court. The preliminary exam is scheduled March 8. Bond was set at $10,000/10% and Swinson bonded out.
Sumpter Police Chief Eric Luke said at about 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 15 Sumpter police responded to a residence in the 45000 block of Harris Road on the report of a verbal dispute between neighbors that escalated when one neighbor brandished a handgun and threatened the other.
Upon arrival, Officer Jim Cayce took statements from those involved and also was provided a video recorded on the cell phone of Swinson’s granddaughter. At the conclusion of the investigation, officers took Swinson into custody for felonious assault.
Swinson is the father of Sumpter Township Trustee Don Swinson.
Po is being prosecuted in Wayne County Circuit Court a charge with one felony count of delivering / manufacturing 5-45 kilograms of marijuana on Aug. 16 at his home. His jury trial has been set for June before Judge Ulysses Boykin. Po’s attorneys’ motion to dismiss the charges was turned down on Feb. 17.
If found guilty of the charge, Po could be imprisoned for 7 years and/or pay a fine of $500,000.
Sumpter Township Police already have confiscated about $1 million worth of possessions owned by Po and his wife Clarita.
Clarita Po is suing Sumpter Township Police Detective John Toth in a civil case before Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Robert J. Colombo.
She sued the township, its supervisor, and Det. Toth following the raid in August on her home and her husband’s marijuana grow house. She was jailed and then released without any charges filed against her.
Sumpter Township and Supervisor John Morgan were withdrawn from the case due to governmental immunity. Det. Toth is the only defendant left in that case. Discovery in that case runs until April 14.