Man Chokes Boyfriend of 10 Years to Death During Video Game Argument: Cops

A Michigan man allegedly choked his boyfriend of 10 years to death during an argument over a video game, according to reports.

Oakland County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) deputies were called to an apartment in the 10 block of Carter Street in Pontiac before midnight on Thursday, according to NBC affiliate WDIV.

The network reported Docquen Jovo Watkins, 31, of Pontiac, told police he and his partner Rory Teasley, 28, also of Pontiac, had gotten into a fight over a video game.

Police told WDIV the pair had been playing the competitive multiplayer game Overwatch when they became embroiled in an argument.

Watkins is then alleged to have choked his partner of 10 years to death, reported the network citing authorities.

OCSO told the outlet: "We see far too often across the country these days when people resort to violence over trivial and insignificant disagreements.

"There is never a reason where violence is acceptable over a disagreement. Those who do so will be held accountable."

Watkins was booked into Oakland County Jail early on Friday morning without bond and was charged with second-degree murder on Sunday, according to WDIV.

Newsweek has contacted the OCSO for comment.

According to the legal firm Michigan Justice, under the law of the state "second-degree murder is an unplanned but intentional killing or any death caused by reckless disregard for human life."

The firm added: "Essentially, second-degree murder is anything that does not rise to the thought-out level of first-degree murder—the crime is defined by lack of premeditation and sheer disregard for human life."

In a 2020 crime report, Michigan State Police said there were 750 murder and non-negligent manslaughter cases in Michigan in 2020.

This represented a 36.6 percent increase from 2019 and the report said June and July had the highest case counts.

In 2021, a 19-year-old top female gamer was stabbed to death by a rival competitor in Brazil.

Newsweek previously reported Ingrid Oliveira Buena da Silva, 19, was stabbed to death by then 18-year-old Guilherme Alves Costa after they met to play the competitive multiplayer game Call of Duty.

Alves Costa, known as "Flashlight" online, admitted to the crime and shared a video of the killing on WhatsApp.

Alves Costa later turned himself in to the police and told them his sanity was "completely fit" and that he "wanted to do this," according to the State Department of Public Security.

The Jaguares Esports team expressed their condolences for Oliveira Bueno da Silva's family and described her as an "extraordinary person."