Amid the clinks of gas station commerce and the soft hum of coolers, a dispute over a mere dime spiraled into a confrontation severe enough to draw county attention. Alicia Bradford, Wayne County's Director of Parks, and her husband Larry Bradford face charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and possessing a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to court records. The charges stem from a New Year's Day altercation at a BP gas station in Farmington Hills, as reported by The Detroit News.
The incident began when Larry Bradford was charged a 10-cent bottle deposit while attempting to purchase a Mountain Dew, a detail he misunderstood as a tax. Despite being shown the receipt that delineated the charges, the conversation quickly degenerated when another customer intervened. According to a FOX 2 Detroit report, heated words turned to physical aggression, and Bradford threatened to retrieve his pistol. Surveillance footage further shows Larry reentering the gas station pointing his handgun at another man, demanding an apology while the decrepit racks of toppled goods lay witness to their earlier scuffle.
Alicia Bradford, upon entering the station, brandished her own firearm, asking if her husband had been robbed. Trying to get up from a forced kneeling position, the man was commanded by Alicia Bradford to "stay down there" while she held her gun, as mentioned in the same FOX 2 Detroit report. Subsequently, police arrested the couple, and Alicia was suspended without pay from her position as Director of Wayne County Parks, a job that commands an annual salary of $146,000, per a report from WXYZ.
The Bradfords were released on a $50,000 personal bond each and are scheduled to appear in court on Monday. Wayne County spokesperson Doda Lulgjuraj stated, "We will not be providing further comments while the matter is under investigation," encapsulating an official desire to distance from the unfolding court case. Alicia Bradford, who previously faced scrutiny in 2019 over familial county contracts, declined to comment on the current allegations, adding layers of complexity to her already checkered professional narrative, as told to WXYZ. Meanwhile, Alisha Bell, the chair of the Wayne County Commission, expressed surprise, describing the actions as "very uncharacteristic" of Bradford, whom she knew as a professional and diligent worker in her communication to WXYZ.
