AUBURN HILLS (WWJ) - All-American football star Jayru Campbell was arraigned on assault charges and more on Wednesday following an incident where police claim he was threatening staff while holding his young child and armed with a pair of scissors at an Auburn Hills hospital earlier in the week.
WWJ's Ryan Marshall reported that Campbell is also facing misdemeanor crimes of child abuse, disturbing the peace and trespassing after he was arrested late Sunday night for live streaming part of a concerning encounter with police at in the lobby of Havenwyck Hospital -- located on University Drive, just west of Opdyke in Auburn Hills.
He was booked into the Oakland County jail on Christmas after he was live on Facebook showing his interaction with four police officers.
During the video, Campbell is seen holding a child, who he says is his daughter, and a pair of scissors. Auburn Hills police did not immediately comment on the arrest and not much is currently known about the circumstances that lead to police attempting to negotiate with Campbell.
In an update mid-afternoon on Wednesday, Auburn Hills police broke their silence in a prepared statement, claiming that a 911 caller said Campbell was threatening hospital staff and demanded that his child's mother, who is a patient, be freed from the hospital.
"Upon arrival, the officers encountered a 25-year-old male, later identified as Jayru Campbell, holding his 2-year-old daughter and was armed with a pair of scissors," the statement from police reads. "Mr. Campbell was demanding that a family member be released from the hospital. Mr. Campbell threatened harm to the officers several times during the hour-long standoff. Officers on the scene were able to get Mr. Campbell to reason with them and drop the scissors. A short time later he released his daughter, to be taken to a safe location. Mr. Campbell complied with the officers and was arrested."
Campbell was also instructed by police several days earlier not to return due to a court order. Investigators say the hospital was placed on lockdown until the situation was resolved.
Campbell's attorney, Jeff McCarty, otherwise claims officers escalated the situation after 911 was called.
"I saw a man with an undeniable bond with his daughter who, if you understand the backstory, had gone up there to take his daughter to see her mother on Christmas Day at the hospital," McCarty said during the arraignment.
Most of what is known of the altercation prior to the prepared statement by police comes from Facebook Live video stream that Campbell began at around 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 25.
In the video, he is holding a little girl who he says is his daughter. He mainly talks to his followers via the livestream, but occasionally speaks to someone off-camera.
Related
Most of Campbell's remarks appear to be about being at Havenwyck, concern over losing custody of his daughter and general comments about distrusting the system. Campbell is mostly calm but also bursts out in anger at the police, who are off-screen.
An officer is heard saying that they just don't want the baby or anyone else to get hurt.
At the 2:20 mark in the livestream, viewers see that Cambell is holding a pair of scissors in his free hand. He is still holding the little girl in his other arm.
The child is not upset and appears to be fine throughout the incident. It is not currently known how the situation was resolved, but there have been no reports that anyone was injured.
Campbell was eventually arrested, and booked into Oakland County Jail at approximately 11:30 p.m.
“I commend the actions of our officers, who were on scene during this very dynamic situation,” said Ryan Gagnon, Chief of Police of the Auburn Hills Police Department. “The officers maintained their composure and used time and space, which allowed them to de-escalate the situation and negotiate with the person. We are grateful for the outcome and that no one was injured during this incident.”
Campbell was a star quarterback at Cass Tech before going to Ferris State University where he was an All-American four years ago.