Franck Louis-Victor, the Ford Motor Co. executive charged with two felonies after a domestic incident at his home last Saturday, walked into the Bloomfield Township Police Department the next day and told police he struck his wife, according to a police report obtained by the Detroit Free Press under the state Freedom of Information Act.
The 20-page report describes a volatile exchange between a husband and wife that involved accusations of Louis-Victor’s infidelity, talk of divorce and injury that resulted in a hospital visit.
On Tuesday, lawyer Paul Stablein, of Bloomfield Hills, provided a statement to the Free Press on behalf of Soo Louis-Victor saying that she loved her husband, praising him as a loving partner and father, and regretting the incident became public.
“I am an advocate for women who have suffered from domestic violence having lived around the world, and I in no way want to take anything away from true victims. I will continue to advocate for those who are,” the statement said.
On Wednesday, Stablein told the Free Press that he stands by his client’s statement.
What happened, according to police
Meanwhile, police reports detail the events that allegedly took place in the couple’s Bloomfield Hills home Saturday as well as those that occurred in the days that followed. In those reports, Soo Louis-Victor is referred to as Soo Kyung Marie Kim.
Here are allegations from police documents:
- A police officer was dispatched to a hospital to interview Kim at 11:40 p.m. Saturday. She had been “admitted with injuries from a domestic assault that occurred at her residence.” The report does not detail her injuries.
- Kim said she had been married to her husband for four years. He took the job at Ford two years ago (after working at Renault). She explained that she had been traveling and arrived home three days prior to the incident. Her husband was out of town on business, and Kim said all her clothing and belongings had been removed from the master bedroom and placed in the spare bedroom. She moved everything back to the master bedroom prior to his return.
- Kim learned of Louis-Victor’s “infidelity” in April, and in May she learned he was visiting his ex-wife while away on business trips. Kim and Louis-Victor “discussed divorce.”
- He returned home about 8:10 p.m. Saturday, noticed she had moved her things back into the master bedroom and told her she could not. She told him it is her house, too, and told him to stay in the spare room. He called her a disparaging name and removed two Hermes purses, given as wedding gifts, and valued at $10,000 each.
- He took out a butane torch and arranged the purses on a workbench in the basement threatening to burn them. When she attempted to grab the purses, he waved the lit butane torch approximately 2 feet from her face.
- The couple returned to the master bedroom and Louis-Victor started removing his belongings to the spare room. Kim told him a blanket he picked up belonged to her, so he placed it across her shoulders with both hands and shoved her back with it. He then slapped her with his open right hand along her left jawline and yelled, “You deserve it.” She pushed him away and he yelled, then headbutted her forehead.
- He started throwing her belongings off of the nightstand onto the floor. When she bent over to pick them up, he struck her with his computer tablet.
- He attempted to wipe the blood away with a tissue and claimed he struck her accidentally. He then went to take a shower. Kim texted her friend, who came over and drove Kim to the friend’s residence and then to a hospital.
The officer asked Kim to “complete a written statement and provided written narrative forms but she did not wish to provide one.” The report says a police officer photographed Kim’s injuries, but does not describe them.
Meanwhile, officers went to the home on Vorn Lane to look for Louis-Victor. They found a black 2022 Lincoln Navigator and a white 2022 Mustang Mach-E in the driveway, and a black Ford Mustang and a yellow Chevrolet Corvette in the garage. No one answered the door despite repeated attempts by police. An officer remained stationed near the residence hoping for a sign of Louis-Victor, the police report said.
‘Eager to give his side of the story’
At 10 a.m. Sunday, Louis-Victor “voluntarily came to the station to speak about the reported domestic violence,” the report says. “Louis-Victor was eager to give his side of the story and willing to speak with me,” an officer wrote in the police report.
The exchange was recorded by body camera and interview room cameras, according to police.
“Louis-Victor provided background information about his marriage to his wife, Soo Kim,” the report said. “Louis-Victor said the two of them are separated and preparing to divorce. Both Kim and Louis-Victor still live together for the time being.”
He said “he knocked (over) a picture frame” that “he knew would upset Kim, which is why he did it.” He “grabbed his pillow and a Google tablet to take with him to the guest room. In another attempt to anger Kim, Louis-Victor kicked the frame …” She tried to stop him. He denied hitting Kim with the tablet, the report said.
He said he “helped clean Kim’s wound after he noticed she was bleeding,” the police report said.
‘He demonstrated the slap’
The report continues with these allegations:
- He admitted to slapping Kim with his right hand at the beginning of their argument.
- He demonstrated the slap, which he said was light. When police asked which hand he used, Louis-Victor said he used his right hand because he’s right-handed.
- He did grab one of his wife’s luxury handbags, took it to the basement and threatened to burn it. He said he held the blowtorch in his right hand and the bag in his left hand. His wife tried to stop him from burning the handbag by grabbing onto his arm. “His forearms showed small scratches on them.” Police took pictures.
- After the argument, Louis-Victor said he and his wife separated. He went to the guest bedroom and stayed there the night. He knew his wife left but didn’t know with whom.
- He voluntarily submitted and signed a written report.
- Following the interview, police arrested Louis-Victor. He stayed in Cell No. 2 while awaiting his court appearance the next day.
Police photographed his front profile, a red mark on his right hand, a scratch on his inner right arm, a scratch on his inner left wrist and a scratch on his left side.
Just before 11 p.m. Sunday, police learned Kim was back at her home and met her there. She walked them through the house and reiterated her version of events.
Kim asked police not to take the Hermes bags as evidence “due to their sentimental value,” so they were photographed only. Both are Birkin models and are valued at approximately $10,000 each. One was cream, the other black. Both had gold accents.
‘She was bleeding’
On Monday, police called and interviewed Kim again. She told police then that “she was scared of Louis-Victor at the time, and she has never seen him that angry before. Louis-Victor has been physical with her in the past but has not hurt her.”
In his account, Louis-Victor told police Kim initiated the violence. “She started to be physically violent with me, scratched my arms, crunched my testicles and so forth. … She grabbed my arm that was holding the Google tablet, she tried to stop me. … I was pulling my arm and she got hurt. … She was cut on the left cheek and she was bleeding. I put all my stuff on the ground, held her and we walked to the bathroom, we stopped arguing. I took some toilet paper, watered it and I cleaned her.”
He gathered his things, went to the bedroom and closed the door. He said he did not hear or see his wife or her child again. When he woke up, he saw a message from police and decided to go down to the police station.
A Ford vice president awaits probable cause hearing
Louis-Victor, 50, CEO of Ford Next LLC and vice president of new business platforms at Ford, has been charged with two felonies: assault with a dangerous weapon and arson, based on preparation to burn property worth between $1,000 and $20,000, according to court records.
He is next due in court Tuesday for a probable cause hearing.
Ford has declined this week to comment on the situation or Louis-Victor’s status, calling it a personal matter. Shortly after this story posted online Thursday, Ford spokesman T.R. Reid reached out to the Free Press to say Louis-Victor has been put on leave.
The Free Press has been unable to reach Louis-Victor. No attorney was listed for him in court records.
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Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid