Oakland County Man Charged in Fatal Punch

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A Wixom man who allegedly threw a single punch that killed a man last month has been charged with manslaughter, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said.

Phillip Myers, 27, allegedly hit 43-year-old Chris Markiewicz, of New Hudson, on Aug. 24 after Markiewicz allegedly propositioned Myers’ 17-year-old stepsister for sex, the Detroit Free Press and WWJ/CBS Detroit are reporting.

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Earlier this year, a Dearborn man was sentenced to eight to 15 years in prison on involuntary manslaughter charges after fatally punched a referee who was about to eject him from a soccer match in 2014.

The teen, who sheriff’s officials had said had given Markiewicz a ride home because he was drunk, reportedly brushed off the advances. But when Markiewicz showed up at the teen’s home the next day, apologetic but again highly intoxicated, and refused to leave, Myers hit him, the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies responded to the altercation, but Markiewicz declined to press charges. But about 90 minutes later, he began having chest pains and difficulty breathing and called 911. He reportedly stopped breathing during a transport to Providence Hospital in Novi, and CPR was administered. He was placed on life support at the hospital and died early Monday.

An autopsy determined the Markiewicz’s death was caused by neck compression with complications.

Myers was initially charged with assault, but after Markiewicz died, the charges were upgraded to manslaughter. He was jailed after he was unable to post a $50,000 cash bond, Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe said.

Markiewicz was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served during Desert Storm, according to an obituary on the website of Phillips Funeral Home, which is handling the arrangements.

A funeral Mass will be held at noon Friday, Sept. 4, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in South Lyon, with burial and military rites following at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly.