The car driven by Hassan Ibrahim Bazzi was badly damaged after he crashed into another vehicle while fleeing from police.

DEARBORN — A local Arab American man was arraigned late Monday on various felony charges resulting from a car chase last Friday afternoon that involved local police, multiple gunshots, and an accident on Schaefer Road near the ACCESS headquarters. 

The driver of the car that crashed, 39-year-old Hassan Ibrahim Bazzi, has been charged with one count of assault with intent to murder; one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder as well as three counts of assaulting, resisting, or obstructing a police officer and two counts of fleeing and eluding. The bond has been set at $300,000 for Bazzi according to Dearborn Police and he will be forced to wear a GPS device if it is posted. 

At the scene of the accident, police blocked a large section of Schaefer Road near the ACCESS building after a silver sedan was seen crashed in front of its main sign. 

Onlookers gathered near Roma Bakery across the street attempting to get a glimpse of the wreck as police directed traffic to side streets. 

Police said that Bazzi had been pulled over at about 3:20 p.m. last Friday for failing to yield to a fire truck on Warren near Schaefer. He was also allegedly driving at high rates of speed and disregarding traffic control devices along Warren. 

A picture of Bazzi released by Dearborn Police. Bazzi’s attorney is calling for a competency exam; his hearing was re-scheduled for March 16, 2012. PHOTO: Distributed by Dearborn Police

Bazzi allegedly drove toward the Dearborn officer who pulled him over and attempted to strike him with his car according to police, which led to the officer firing five shots at Bazzi’s car. 

Witnesses at the scene also confirmed they heard five shots that sounded like pistol fire. 

Bazzi was not hit by the shots and continued driving and crashed into another vehicle shortly afterward, ending up in front of the ACCESS sign where clothes and several other items were strewn all over the middle of Schaefer Road. 

After the crash, Bazzi attempted to flee and was captured by officers. Both Bazzi and the arresting officer suffered minor injuries according to Dearborn Police and were treated at a local hospital. 

According to Majed Moughni, a Dearborn-based attorney who has agreed to take on Bazzi’s case pro bono, Bazzi was suffering from schizophrenia at the time and was not taking his medication, which may have caused him to have a fearful, irrational reaction.

“He wasn’t taking his medications and was scared of the police, he wasn’t thinking straight and he just started driving away,” Moughni said.

“When they chased him and started shooting at him he thought they were going to kill him and the schizophrenia kicked in.” 

Moughni also said that the shots were aimed at the backseat of Bazzi’s car. The debris scattered all over the road was likely from his car, which he had been living out of according to Moughni. Bazzi had originally offered to pay Moughni with food stamps to defend him. 

Moughni also said that a witness told him that Bazzi was “beaten up pretty well” by police after he attempted to flee.  Bazzi’s face showed bruises according to a photo released by Dearborn Police this week. 

The woman did not respond to phone calls and messages left as of press time to speak about what she witnessed during last Friday’s incident. 

Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad denied that Bazzi was beaten, however. 

Multiple witnesses on the scene who heard the gunshots and the crash were not able to see much else because police sealed the area off quickly.

A preliminary exam was originally set for Dec. 28 at 9:00 a.m. at 19th District Court for Bazzi, a Dearborn resident. But Dearborn Police said that Bazzi’s attorney, Moughni, called for a competence hearing for the case after meeting in the courthouse with officials. The hearing was granted and the preliminary exam for Bazzi was adjourned. It has been re-scheduled for March 16, 2012. 

Bazzi also has been forced to surrender travel documents as a result of the charges following the incident.