Stephen Duane Woods, Jr., a Kalamazoo man with a history of violence against women, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison. According to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan, Woods, aged 40, was convicted for illegal possession of a firearm as a felon. The announcement detailed his background, which included an abusive episode in September 2023 when Woods attacked his girlfriend and pressed a loaded gun against her.
"Woods's criminal record shows a pattern of violence against women and blatant disregard for the law," U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said in the same release. Woods's criminal history includes numerous convictions. Running and hiding a pistol in a car when the police came, the patterns of Woods's violence were aggravated when resisting arrest and yelling in an officer's face before backup arrived.
The U.S. Attorney's Office has charged other cases similarly focused on domestic threats and firearm possession. Among recent cases, individuals from Muskegon Heights to Lansing have been sentenced for crimes ranging from illegal gun possession linked to a homicide to threatening episodes with an assault rifle. This is part of the broader initiative of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aiming to curb violent crime through multisectoral collaboration.
Special partnerships like the one with the City of Lansing emphasize a concentrated effort to tackle domestic violence. Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young mentioned hand in hand with a reminder about the exploitation of children.
Victims of domestic violence are encouraged to seek immediate help if in danger, with resources such as the National Domestic Violence Hotline or Victim Connect providing crucial assistance. The case against Woods, investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives alongside the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Castle.
