Eric and Jillian Wuestenberg Michigan couple face felony assault charges pulling gun on black mother, Takelia Hill and her 15-year-old daughter Makayla Green.
A Michigan couple was charged Thursday with felonious assault, a day after videos captured a white woman pointing a gun at a Black mother and her two daughters outside an Orion Township eatery.
Jillian Wuestenberg, 32, and Eric Wuestenberg, 42, of Clarkston were each charged with one count of felonious assault, which is punishable by up to four years in prison. They were arraigned in 52-3 District Court before Magistrate Marie Soma, with a $50,000 personal bond the Detroit Free Press reports.
Eric Wuestenberg, who according to his Linkdln profile had worked as a veterans support services coordinator at Oakland University, has since been fired following divided social media consternation of whether the man’s wife was justified in ‘pulling a gun’ on Takelia Hill and her 15-year-old daughter Makayla Green following accusations of ‘racial incitement.’
‘We have seen the video and we deem his behavior unacceptable,’ university spokesman Brian Bierley said in a statement, adding he ‘has been notified that his employment has been terminated.’
Social media was awash in debate about the justification of violence, societal tensions and the proper use of guns for self-defense amid ongoing racial tensions gripping the United States.
Both sides said they felt threatened
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard during a Thursday afternoon press conference said the couple, who were arrested at the eatery, each had legal handguns and concealed pistol licenses.
The charges, he added, stem from using their guns to threaten the victims.
Bouchard said the sheriff’s detectives investigating the case were ‘presented with two very different stories from two different groups, with both sides claiming they felt extremely threatened.’
No gunshots were fired, there were no injuries and, the sheriff added, had the couple not drawn their weapons on unarmed victims, they would not have been facing felony assault charges.
As part of the bond conditions, the Wuestenbergs must turn over all their firearms, not assault anyone, and may not leave the state. Their next court appearance is set for July 14 before Judge Julie Nicholson.
Facebook pages that appear to belong to Jillian and Eric Wuestenberg have both been deleted. A Pinterest page for Jillian Wuestenberg remained online while Eric Wuestenberg had deleted his Twitter account.
