ANN ARBOR (WXYZ) — Outside the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office and Jail Wednesday, there were chants by a large crowd of protesters who showed up in support of a metro Detroit couple. Those chants called for justice.
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"What man can watch another man hit their wife? It's not right," said Daniyal Ka Rhi Grady El about watching a Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputy punch his wife several times early Tuesday morning.
The husband and wife were both arrested after deputies said they refused to leave the perimeter they made around the couple's daughter's home in Ypsilanti Township where deputies said they were investigating a shooting and looking for a suspect.
"I think their issue was that we questioned did they have a warrant and they did not like us questioning their so-called authority. So, they took exception to that and tried to take it out on us," Daniyal told 7 Action News as he met with protesters outside the jail after his release. Deputies used a Taser on him as he tried to help his wife.
Cell phone video shows that during the arrest, Daniyal's wife, Sha-teina Anahita Lin Grady El, was punched by a deputy who has now been placed on administrative leave.
A spokesman for the Washtenaw County Sheriff said the internal investigation division of the Michigan Sheriff's Association will be investigating use of force by deputies in the controversial arrests of the husband and wife who say they are Moors.
Protesters along with relatives of the couple and their attorney expected them to be arraigned on multiple charges Wednesday, but then the sheriff's spokesman said they would be releasing them both because the Washtenaw County Prosecutor wanted to look at body-cam footage and other videos before making a decision on whether to file charges against them.
Organizer Trische Duckworth said they are calling for the firings of the deputies involved in the arrests as well as criminal charges against them for alleged police brutality.
At one point, the crowd of protesters marched a short distance to the intersection of Washtenaw Avenue where they blocked traffic in all directions. Deputies stood by but did not force the protesters to move.
Michigan State Police arrived to assist deputies but protesters directed even louder “hands up, don’t shoot” chants in their direction.
It wasn’t long before troopers moved further back as the crowd of protesters cheered.
Daniyal Ka Rhi Grady El was released, but Taylor picked up his wife on an outstanding warrant for a 2019 felony resisting and obstructing case in their city.
Sha-teina Anahita Lin Grady El is also wanted on bench warrant for similar alleged crimes in Canton where she was set to go on trial several months ago.
"All the police encounters she's had, she's been abused by the police," Daniyal said about his wife who was arraigned Wednesday afternoon in Taylor and given a $2,500 bond.
Sha-teina was then taken to the Wayne County Jail in downtown Detroit where it's unclear if she would even be released after someone posts her bond because, in the Canton case, a bench warrant was issued for her arrest in February for failure to appear.
