TikTok star’s boyfriend accused of strangling him after fight over video game
The two allegedly argued over the multiplayer game ‘Overwatch’
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A TikTok star’s boyfriend has been accused of strangling him after a fight over a video game, and has been charged in connection with his death in Michigan.
Rory Teasley, a 28-year-old TikTok influencer popular for his comic and dance videos on the platform, was found dead on 6 January in the apartment he shared with boyfriend Docquen Jovo Watkins, according to Oakland county authorities.
The alleged murder came to light when police responded to a 911 call from Pontiac, Michigan that night, according to a statement by the authorities cited by several media reports.
The call was reportedly from Mr Watkins, who informed them about a fight between him and Teasley, claiming that he was now “sleeping” on the couch. When officials reached the apartment, Teasley was found unconscious and not breathing, the release said.
Emergency medics attempted life-saving procedures and he was rushed to the hospital by the authorities. However, doctors pronounced him dead shortly after reaching the hospital.
A statement from the sheriff’s office said the two men got into an argument over a multiplayer, team-based shooter video game called “Overwatch”.
The altercation escalated into a physical fight, leading to Mr Watkins allegedly choking Teasley to death, the sheriff’s office said.
Mr Watkins, 30, who was Teasley’s boyfriend of over 10 years, was charged with homicide at the Oakland county jail the next day and held without bond, online records showed.
“We see far too often across the country these days when people resort to violence over trivial and insignificant disagreements,” Oakland county sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a statement following Teasley’s death.
“There is never a reason where violence is acceptable over a disagreement. Those who do so will be held accountable.”
Mr Watkins appeared before a magistrate on Sunday, Law and Crime reported.
He was scheduled for a probable cause conference on 18 January and a preliminary examination hearing on 25 January. If convicted of second-degree murder, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Teasley had over 200,000 followers on TikTok where he posted under the account name “too2pump4tv”. He also amassed thousands of followers and subscribers on Instagram and YouTube.