WARREN — After shouting epithets and obscenities at the leader of a mosque established on Ryan Road amid some controversy last year, a local man admitted today that he engaged in disorderly conduct and he was sentenced to 21 days in jail.
Police say Terry Brown, 37, was drunk and disorderly when they responded to a call Wednesday at about 5:30 p.m., at the Islamic Organization of North America.
Imam Steve Mustafa al-Turk called police and said a man was beating a sign at the mosque with the branch of a tree, police said. Al-Turk said that when he approached Brown, Brown moved toward him with the tree limb, uttering slurs and obscenities, and saying that he intended to desecrate the mosque, police said.
When police arrived, according to Detective Sgt. Michael Torey, Brown was in the parking lot at the mosque, clearly drunk, and shouting at al-Turk and another man.
“The officers could hear profanities directed at the individuals,” Torey said.
Police held Brown overnight, considering charges of both disorderly conduct and ethnic intimidation. After consulting with the office of the Macomb County prosecutor, Torey said, police were told the evidence did not support a charge of ethnic intimidation.
Officials in the prosecutor’s office were not immediately available to comment. Some Muslim leaders questioned why Brown was not charged with ethnic intimidation.
You can reach Gregg Krupa at (313) 222-2359 or gkrupa@ detnews.com.
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