Police situation at 41A District Court in Shelby Township

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) - Punches thrown, hair pulled, and purses flew during a huge brawl at 41A District Court in Shelby Township Tuesday.

Police tased one person and arrested him and two other people.  The police chief said they let one person go because they believed them to be the victim in the fight.

Every seat inside the lobby of the courthouse had been full when the brawl broke out.  Someone lost their temper before having to speak to the prosecutor about the misdemeanor harassment or stalking trial that they were involved in that was to take place in the afternoon. 

The court administrator said the two families involved in the case were sitting too close together and tensions started to rise between them.  People started to scream argue before a physical fight broke out between at least four people.  Everyone else scattered to the corners of the lobby. 

Someone threw a chair and it hit a woman in the back of the head, but when the chair slammed to the ground it sounded like the bang of a gunshot and caused even more chaos.  A small child had been left standing on a chair and watched the adults fight until the court administrator pulled him to safety.  Police officers, sherrif’s deputies in the building on other court matters as well as court security responded within minutes to stop the fight.

A family member tells 7 Action News that the two people who were arrested are father and daughter and their family had brought the original criminal complaint against another female for stalking.  The male is being charged with assault and battery, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct.  The female who was arrested is being charged with assault and battery.  They will be in the same district court for arraignment Wednesday afternoon.