A violent act inside a Farmington Hills YMCA has an 80-year-old critically injured and a 20-year-old man facing life in prison. Malik Ali Smith was charged with assault with the intent to murder after the March 1 confrontation, where, according to FOX 2 Detroit, the elderly victim was found slumped over and bleeding in the locker room, around 10:45 a.m.
Sports icon turned lifesaver, Braylon Edwards, stepped in to halt the assault, saving the man who, despite his intervention, remains hospitalized with grave injuries, former University of Michigan football star Braylon Edwards heard a disturbance that led him to discover the elderly man under attack and intervened, pulling Smith off the victim, after which Smith attempted escape but was met by Farmington Hills law enforcement who acted upon a critical 911 call from an observant resident found Smith on Parkhill Street and he was arrested promptly, according to Hoodline.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald described the incident as "a vicious, senseless attack," and applauded the bravery of those like Edwards who got involved, "I commend the witness who intervened, and we will seek justice for this victim," she said in a statement obtained by both FOX 2 Detroit and CBS News Detroit. Smith, held on a $250,000 bond with no 10% option, remains in the Oakland County Jail.
The Farmington Hills community has been shaken by the brutality of the attack, but the swift police response and public cooperation played a pivotal role in the arrest of Smith, with Farmington Hills Police Chief Jeff King stating "the selfless efforts made by Mr. Edwards embody the best in our society," also highlighting the effectiveness of the combined police resources drone and K9 unit from the Southfield Police Department in the swift apprehension, such cooperation marks a community committed to its collective safety, Smith's probable cause conference is set for March 13, as the legal process to deliver justice for the victim progresses, as per CBS News Detroit.
