SOUTHGATE — A Kroger employee has been arraigned on a weapons charge, but will not face further charges in the killing of a man at a store in Southgate last week.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office says 33-year-old Charles Hinton II of Riverview acted in self-defense when 23-year-old Ramon Vazquez attacked him at the store along Fort Street last Tuesday.
Southgate police officers were dispatched to the store for a reported stabbing just after 3 p.m.
Police say Vazquez came into the store looking for Hinton. He was working when suddenly Vasquez began punching him multiple times. While being attacked by Vasquez, Hinton pulled out a knife and stabbed Vazquez twice, killing him. Hinton remained at the scene.
They say the two knew of each other through another person, but had never met in person.
Hinton was arraigned Saturday on one count of Carrying a Concealed Weapon. It is alleged that he illegally possessed the knife that he was carrying at the time of the assault. He faces a maximum of five years in prison.
He was arraigned Saturday in 36th District Court and received a personal bond and was ordered not to possess weapons and not to have contact with a woman who is a potential witness in the case. His next court date is on October 24, 2025, in 28th District Court in Southgate.
The Prosecutor's Office says the facts in this case show that Vasquez was the initial aggressor who physically attacked Hinton while he was working. Hinton in response defended himself. In this case the facts and evidence support that he acted in lawful self-defense.
Under Michigan law, an individual is allowed to use force, including deadly force, when necessary to protect themselves. The person must honestly and reasonably believe that the use of deadly force was necessary to prevent imminent death or imminent great bodily harm to themselves.