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Wayne County Sheriff's Deputy charged in connection with shooting at party with two women

Posted at 6:35 PM, Feb 09, 2022
and last updated 2022-02-09 18:54:54-05

(WXYZ) — A wild case of sexual relations among three consenting adults erupts into gunfire. One of the people involved is an off-duty Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputy who was partying with two women.

He was shot.

One of the women was shot.

Then the deputy goes back on the job.

This all happened two years ago and was investigated by Romulus police.

“Why is it now February of 2022 and we're first hearing about this? It's a head-scratcher,” says former federal prosecutor Anjali Prasad, a legal expert for 7 Action News.

Thirty-two-year-old Danford Wilson III was finally charged last month with assault with intent to murder and felony firearms.

Sources tell 7 Action News, he was inside a townhouse with a longtime lady friend who also had a younger girlfriend over. The three were engaged in sexual activity but then something went wrong. Shots were fired back and forth with a gun brought by Wilson.

Sources say the two women have been refusing to cooperate. And Wilson claimed he was the victim.

Prasad says, “Oh, Oh it is of no shock that the individuals who chose to engage in this conduct there all of a sudden, oh I didn't do it I don't want to do with it I don't want my face in the news.”

According to the Wayne County Prosecutor, Wilson allegedly shot the younger 22-year-old woman in the face.

A statement from the prosecutor calls her the victim saying, “The victim fired the handgun in self-defense striking the defendant multiple times in the chest. The victim was privately transported to a local hospital for treatment of her facial wound.”

The statement also acknowledges the long delay, “A warrant request was presented to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, on March 12, 2020. The case was reviewed and charged on January 6, 2022.”

Former Prosecutor Prasad questions the delay saying they have leverage to get people to cooperate, “We threaten to charge them because 2 people got shot and I’m pretty sure somebody didn’t shoot themselves.”

The Wayne County Sheriff confirms to 7 Action News, Danford Wilson was back on the job after recovering from the shooting 2 years ago. We are told he works as a jail guard, is not a state-certified sworn officer, and does not have a county-issued gun. He was suspended without pay last month after being charged.

The full statement from the Sheriff:

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office is a large agency and sometimes we employ people who make decisions outside of our control. We can only control our response to those decisions. This deputy was suspended without pay immediately and he deserves due process. These alleged actions are not representative of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and its culture as a whole.

Wilson’s mother answered the door at his house and says she too wants to know what happened but her son can’t discuss it with her because “he’s got a gag order.”

Wilson is out on a $100,000 bond 10%, on a tether, and is ordered not to have contact with the two women. He’s scheduled to be in court for a probable cause conference on February 23 in 34th District Court in Romulus.