To provide an update for the incident at Temple Beth El, the Bloomfield Township Police Department immediately began an extensive investigation into the actions and behaviors of the subject on Friday morning. The Bloomfield Township Police Department continues to work in conjunction with local, state, and federal partners and the investigation is ongoing.
We can assure our community that all necessary tools at our disposal were and are utilized. Township leadership, Temple Beth El, Jewish Community Security, and The Jewish Federation are sharing ongoing security and communication efforts.
At 8:57am on Friday morning we received a call from the security director at Temple Beth El. While still on the 911 call, Bloomfield Township officers were able to locate the subject and conduct a traffic stop. Additional Township officers arrived on scene of Temple Beth El and began collecting initial witness statements. The subject was positively identified. We are aware of the social media posts and videos of this traffic stop that are circulating. Our officers accomplished the goal of identifying the subject while using de-escalation techniques to diffuse the subject. We are unable to comment on specific investigative techniques, but we were able to assess that subsequent to the traffic stop the subject would not be an imminent threat to the community.
Following the traffic stop, the Bloomfield Township Police Department worked around the clock in cooperation with local and regional partners to continue the investigation. Based on evidence that was discovered along with additional information provided by the Dearborn Police Department, the subject was taken into custody on a separate, and a search warrant executed on his residence.
Based on evidence that was discovered several hours after the initial stop of the subject, the findings of the Bloomfield Township Police Department were presented to the Oakland County Prosecutor, who this morning issued a warrant for two felony counts of ethnic intimidation. The Bloomfield Township Police Department took the subject into custody and he is currently lodged at the Oakland County Jail.
We appreciate the assistance of our local and regional partners, especially the Dearborn Police Department.
We stand with the Jewish community in deploring this incident and behavior, and in any such situation we will seek to hold anyone accountable to the fullest extent of the law.