Father, teenage son attack Shelby Township police, investigation reports say they fired airsoft rifle at car
Shelby police investigate father, assaulted by teenage sons
A weekend attack on two officers in Shelby Township left one with a concussion and another with a broken cheekbone and four people, including two teenage brothers, have been arrested and charged. Two other suspects, the teenager’s father and a 55-year-old cousin, all now face three felonies after they violently jumped two troopers who were investigating reports of an airsoft rifle being fired from a black SUV.
Shelby Township, Mich. (FOX 2) – A weekend attack on two officers in Shelby Township left one with a concussion and another with a broken cheekbone and four people, including two teenage brothers, have been arrested and charged.
Two other suspects, the teenager’s father and a 55-year-old cousin, all now face three felonies after they violently jumped two troopers who were investigating reports of an airsoft rifle being fired from a black SUV.
A Shelby Township police sergeant worries what the suspects would have done if someone part of law enforcement had disturbed them.
“One can imagine if a normal citizen comes up to them and rubs them the wrong way,” said Sgt. Mark Benedettini.
Before the wild scene unfolded, it began with several 911 calls reporting someone shooting from a black Escalade Saturday evening near 22 Mile Road and Ryan. After a caller obtained the suspect SUV’s license plate, it returned to the home of 55-year-old Sam Kassab in a nearby neighborhood.
“That’s when things went south,” Benedettini said.
Officers said they wanted to pull the Escalade over so they could get a search warrant after Kasab allegedly became upset with the investigation. Police said he shoved an officer, who then tried to wrangle him into custody.
When he interrupted, his wife then “went into the house and called some others to come out.”
“At that point the sergeant and the officer were blindsided and viciously attacked,” Benedettini said. “One officer actually thought he had been shot when it happened because it came out of nowhere.”
The people who showed up were the family’s 15- and 16-year-old sons, who kneed and punched officers in the face. The family’s cousin, Troy, also took part in the attack.
Sam Kassab, 55, of Shelby Township
Now, all of them are facing variations of police assault charges. Kasab was arraigned on September 11 and given a $100,000 cash bond.
“I think what’s even scarier is that the people who got the bond, the two teenagers ended up bonding on a $50 bond — it was $500/10%,” Benedettini said.
One of the officers will likely require surgery for their injuries. Police have confirmed that body cameras were operating during the attack.
FOX 2 did not hear back from Kasab’s attorney after requesting a comment. While FOX 2 was driving, the teenage brothers were outside, only to let out an exclamation.
