Officer David Essad Discharged After Assaulting his Wife

A Shelby Township police officer has been discharged from the force amid allegations that he assaulted his wife in April.

Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Leman officially notified David Essad of his termination via a memo dated June 26. The termination was the result of an administrative investigation conducted by Leman and Shelby Township Police Capt. Steven Stanbury concerning Essad’s April 12 arrest in Rochester Hills.

Essad, who had served in the department for eight years, was arrested following an incident involving his wife, Julie Essad, on April 11. The couple had been celebrating Julie Essad’s birthday at a bar in downtown Rochester and left the bar at approximately 11:30 p.m. On May 13, in 52-3 District Court in Rochester Hills, Julie Essad testified that the couple left the bar because her husband was intoxicated and had become angry when Julie Essad spoke to an ex-boyfriend.

During the drive home, the couple argued and David Essad allegedly became violent, pulling his wife’s hair and verbally assaulting her. Julie Essad testified that her husband hit the dashboard and radio of the car, bit her ear and pulled out his gun.

The couple pulled over into a parking lot at Tienken and Rochester roads, and David Essad allegedly unloaded his gun, punched the windshield with the weapon’s barrel and then chased his wife out of the vehicle before pushing her to the ground, slamming her head against the pavement and choking her. Police arrived to find both David Essad and his wife lying on the parking lot. David Essad was arrested and arraigned April 12 and, on May 13, bound over to Oakland County Circuit Court on charges of felonious assault and aggravated domestic assault.

The event received media attention throughout the metropolitan Detroit area, which Leman said damaged the reputation of the department.

“Your conduct on April 11, 2008, violates state law and department guidelines,” Leman wrote in his memo to David Essad. “Your behavior also tarnishes the police department’s mission to serve and protect the citizens of Shelby Township.”

Leman said David Essad also violated several departmental rules, regulations and policies on April 11, including using alcohol off-duty “to the extent that it discredits (himself) or the department,” conduct unbecoming an officer, using his firearm in an unacceptable manner and general misconduct.

“In assessing the appropriate discipline to be applied, I have undertaken a review of factors which might be considered as mitigating against discharge as well as factors which one might consider as aggravating factors,” Leman wrote in his memo. “I find no mitigating factors which warrant against my decision to terminate your employment.”

Essad has the right to take the decision to arbitration. He is scheduled for a preliminary examination in Oakland County Circuit Court on July 15.