Suspect arrested after allegedly making terrorist threat against Farmington Hills police officer

FARMINGTON HILLS — A man who allegedly made a terrorist threat against a Farmington Hills police officer has been arrested and remanded to the Oakland County Jail.

According to a press release, on May 23, the Farmington Hills Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operating without insurance. Shawn Bonner, 24, and his two young children were passengers in the vehicle, driven by Bonner’s girlfriend, the children’s mother.

An investigation revealed that Bonner was wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant from Redford’s 17th District Court for obstructing a police officer and failing to appear at court.

When officers attempted to arrest Bonner on the warrant, he reportedly lied about his identity and refused the officer’s requests to exit the vehicle.

“Bonner escalated the situation when he dove from the front seat into the back seat and barricaded himself among his young children,” the release states. “Officers faced a difficult and chaotic scene as Bonner actively resisted being arrested.” Police said his girlfriend began screaming at the officers and attempted to kick at officers. “Farmington Hills Police officers relied on their training and experience to control the situation, while considering the resistance encountered, to ensure the young children were unharmed.”

Following the incident, the driver, Kyrstin Elliott, was charged with interfering with a police officer, and the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office issued a warrant charging Bonner with resisting and obstructing a police officer, a felony punishable by two years imprisonment.

He was arraigned in the 47th District Court and was released on a personal bond, “even though he already failed to appear at court on a prior charge,” the release states.

On June 5, Bonner again failed to appear in court, police said.

On June 9, according to the release, Bonner called the Farmington Hills Police Department and threatened to beat and shoot officers.

The following day, he reportedly called the father of one of the arresting officers and left a voicemail that gave the officer’s home address “and told them they were not safe.”

According to the release, based on the threats and dangerous behavior, detectives from the South Oakland Narcotics and Intelligence Consortium, with the assistance of the Redford Police Department, located Bonner, Elliott and their children driving in Redford and attempted to arrest Bonner, who refused to exit the vehicle.

He reportedly directed Elliott to drive away from the scene.

According to the release, detectives contained the vehicle to prevent a pursuit that would have endangered the public and Bonner’s children.

“Bonner again barricaded himself and utilized his children as a shield to prevent his arrest,” the release states. “Bonner continued to threaten the detectives as they attempted to reason with the couple for 45 minutes. As the Detectives attempted to de-escalate the situation, Bonner grabbed the car keys and jumped into the driver’s seat. Fearing Bonner would ram them or the police cars, detectives utilized a window punch to safely break the glass and take Bonner into custody.”

Farmington Hills Police detectives submitted their findings to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, which issued a warrant charging Bonner with one count of false report or threat of terrorism, a felony punishable by 20 years imprisonment.

Bonner was arraigned on the charges in 47th District Court June 12, with a not-guilty plea entered on his behalf. Bond was set at $100,000 cash or surety, and he was remanded to the Oakland County Jail, according to the release.

“I am grateful to the men and women of the Police Department who put on the badge and serve this community … daily,” Farmington Hills Police Chief Jeff King stated via the release. “The Farmington Hills Police Department believes in procedural justice and conducts Constitutional policing in all its operations. In this case, Bonner disobeyed the rule of law, escalated situations that officers attempted to de-escalate, endangered his own family, and threatened officers and their families. I am concerned by the increasing lack of respect for the rule of law and Law Enforcement, and the confrontations it continues to create between the public and police.”

The release also added that King thanked Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald “for her response to these threats made against the officers and Bonner’s attempt to intimidate a witness which would disrupt the judicial process.”

Bonner is scheduled to have an in-person exam July 29.

Elliott is scheduled to have a pre-formal hearing July 8.

Through a representative, Bonner’s attorney declined to comment when contacted by phone.