Cleveland Father Killed in Front of Son While Rescuing Him from Brutal Attack
What started as a routine Sunday turned into a nightmare that shattered a family.
Norman Duncan, a father of five, had no idea when he got a call about his 12-year-old son being in danger that it would be the last time he’d ever see any of his children. That day, his fatherly instinct kicked in like it always did — to protect, to defend, to be there. And that instinct cost him his life.
According to Cleveland police, Norman’s son had gotten into a fight with another child. But the situation quickly spiraled into something unthinkable. The other child’s parents — Marvin Atkins and Ann Marie Clayton — allegedly took the boy, physically restraining him, something that not only crossed legal boundaries, but a moral line that’s hard to even comprehend.
When Norman arrived, witnesses say he was frantic, terrified — not for himself, but for his son. He pleaded with the adults to release his boy. Tensions rose, and in an instant of devastating violence, police say Clayton struck Norman in the head with a brick.
Still, even while injured, Norman’s only concern was getting his child to safety. He reportedly managed to pull his son free and began walking away. But what happened next is almost too cruel for words.
Authorities say the couple got into their car, and in an intentional act of violence, ran Norman over — in broad daylight, with his son just feet away.
Norman didn’t survive. His children lost their father. His 12-year-old son lost his sense of safety — and his childhood — in a moment no child should ever witness.
Family members describe Norman as a loving dad who worked hard to give his kids the life they deserved. “His world revolved around his children,” said a relative. “He wasn’t perfect, but he loved those babies more than anything.”
Neighbors and community members are reeling. A GoFundMe has been set up to help support the children he left behind — kids who now have to grow up with the trauma of what they saw, and the aching absence of the man who always showed up for them.
Cleveland police have charged both Atkins and Clayton with multiple felonies, including murder and vehicular homicide. But for Norman’s family, there’s no sentence long enough to bring peace.
Norman Duncan will be remembered not as a victim of violence, but as a father who ran into danger without hesitation — just to save his son.
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