By George Hunter
The Detroit News
PLYMOUTH, Mich. — A judge denied a Detroit police officer’s request to avoid surrendering the nine firearms in his home during an Oct. 1 court hearing in which he and a woman were charged with crimes after their 3-year-old son allegedly brought a loaded gun to a daycare center and passed it around to his classmates.
Detroit Police Officer Brandon John Ely, 28, and Rabab Ibrahim Al Zayad, 27, were arraigned in Plymouth’s 35th District Court in connection with the unsafe storage of a firearm. One of toddler’s parents was arrested after the gun was discovered by an employee of the Childrens World Early Learning Center on Sheldon Road, Wayne County prosecutors said in a press release.
Al Zayad was charged with one count of unsafe storage, a 93-day misdemeanor charge since the gun was not fired and didn’t injure anyone. Ely was charged with one count of fourth-degree child abuse, a one-year misdemeanor.
The court and prosecutors didn’t outline Al Zayad’s relationship to Ely or the child. Attorney Colemon Potts declined to comment after the court hearing.
On Sept. 28, at around 8:55 a.m., Canton Township police officers were dispatched to the daycare center on a report of a child having a holstered handgun.
According to prosecutors, the defendants’ three-year-old son allegedly found an unsecured firearm in a backpack that had been stored in the classroom. The firearm was then passed to other students. A teacher observed the handgun, immediately intervened and removed it from the children.
During a brief hearing before 35th District Court Judge Joe Barone, the defendants’ attorney Potts waived the formal reading of the charges and entered a not guilty plea with the court.
Acting on the recommendation of Canton Township Police Detective Kyle Fife, Barone set a $10,000 personal bond with restrictions that included not visiting the daycare and surrendering all firearms.
Potts asked the judge if Ely could hold onto his guns.
“He’s a police officer, and he needs his firearms for work,” Potts said. The attorney added that his client had worked in several capacities at the Detroit Police Department.
Detroit Police officials said Ely has been placed on restricted duty with no firearms, pending the outcome of the case.
“I can certainly understand the position,” Barone replied. “But given the nature of the offense, I think it’s appropriate for the defendants to not have access to firearms.”
Potts asked the judge if Ely could hold onto his service weapon, while surrendering his other eight guns, although the judge reaffirmed his ruling.
“At this stage, I’m going to make this a complete restriction,” the judge said.
Al Zayad said the order barring the couple from visiting the daycare was moot because both of their children no longer attended the facility.
“We have disenrolled them,” she told the judge.
Canton Township police have possession of the pistol that was found in the daycare. Ely must surrender the rest of his guns immediately and visit the police station to be fingerprinted, the judge ruled.
Worthy said the case could have been a tragedy.
“It is very unsettling to think about what may have happened in this case,” she said in a statement. “We are thankful that there was no loss of life at this daycare center.”
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