DETROIT (WXYZ) — The parents of a toddler who brought a loaded handgun to a Canton daycare center appeared in court Thursday morning to face criminal charges.
Watch Randy's story in the video player below:
Detroit Police Officer Brandon John Ely has been charged with fourth-degree child abuse. His wife, Rabab Ibrahim Al Zayad, faces a charge of unsafe storage of a firearm.
Both defendants were granted $10,000 unsecured personal bonds by Judge Joe Barone. As part of their bond conditions, neither parent is permitted to set foot on the daycare's property, and both are prohibited from possessing any firearms while the case moves forward.
Cameras captured the moment Ely surrendered his nine firearms to authorities following the arraignment.
During the arraignment, defense attorney Colemon Potts requested an exception for Ely's service weapon, noting his career with DPD.
"Mr. Ely is a police officer. He's been a police officer for eight years, four years as a detective, four years of special ops, so he needs his firearm for work," Potts argued in court.
Judge Barone denied the request, citing the severity of the situation.
Related story: Toddler brings gun to Canton daycare
"Given the nature of the allegations and the nature of the offense, I think it's appropriate at this time that both not have or possess any firearms," Barone said.
The charges stem from an incident Monday morning at Children’s World Early Learning Center in Canton. Authorities say the child brought a loaded pistol—which police identified as belonging to Al Zayad—inside a backpack.
Tragedy was averted thanks to a quick-thinking teacher who spotted the firearm when a student pulled it out, immediately securing it away from the roughly nine other children in the classroom.
"In this particular situation, the child went into a place where they thought they were able to go into. They found something that they’re not supposed to," said Canton Police Chief Joseph Bialy. "Again, I’m gonna go back to that safe storage and that responsibility of the parent to make sure the child doesn’t have access."
The Detroit Police Department released a statement on the matter:
"The Detroit Police Department is aware of an incident that occurred in another jurisdiction involving one of our officers. The officer has been placed on administrative duty, no gun status while we actively review this matter. If it is determined that the officer violated department policy or the law, that individual will be held accountable.
The Detroit Police Department remains committed to transparency, accountability and maintaining the public’s trust. We hold our officers to the highest standards—both on and off-duty—and remain unwavering in our commitment to the principle that no one is above the law.”
Both Ely and Al Zayad are scheduled to return to court on Oct. 30 for a pre-trial hearing.
