Berkley Man Charged with Trying to Kill Royal Oak Roommate

A Berkley man was charged today in an assault on an acquaintaince that Royal Oak police described as "vicious."

According to Royal Oak police, 20-year-old Brent M. Smetana faces charges of assault with intent to murder after police responding to a noise call at 3:37 a.m. at the Beverly Hills Apartments found him viciously beating an older man.

Police said officers saw a broken window on one of the apartments during their check and through the window observed Smetana beating the man. The window was too small for an officer to crawl through, so he ordered the suspect, at gunpoint, to stop while other officers tried to enter the apartment.

Smetana initially complied and stepped away from the victim, according to police, but then grabbed a large shard of glass. He said he was going to kill the victim and lunged toward him.

Police said the officer outside the window fired his Taser before Smetana could reach the victim, disabling him until the other responding officers were able to  arrest him.

The victim, David Chambers, had been beaten, stabbed and bitten and was transported to William Beaumont Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Hospital officials said Chambers was released this morning.

Chambers and Smetana have been acquaintances for over one year, police said, and Smetana had moved into Chambers' apartment, located at 4420 Springer, less than one week ago. Smetana was arranged this morning in 44th District Court and Judge Terrence Brennan set the bond at $500,000.

Royal Oak Patch will update this story when we have more information.