1 arrested for assault of female police officer during Biden protest in Warren

WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - A protest against President Joe Biden during his visit to Warren — ended in one arrest Thursday.

Pro-Palestine demonstrators gathered outside the Element Warren facility where Biden met with UAW members, chanting and carrying signs while decrying the president's support for Israel.

"We warned several times to get out of the roadway, the motorcade was coming through," said Commissioner Bill Dwyer, Warren police. "They were going to stop the motorcade, we’re protecting the president, and then they assaulted one of our female police officers."

The man accused of that assault — 22-year-old Maherr Salah Jaeran. Police released bodycam video from the protest where the alleged assault happened.

Jaeran is charged with assaulting a police officer, a two-year felony.

"You see the group that’s pushing the officers back by pushing them back, they strike one of the female officers and that’s where the assault comes in,"

FOX 2: "This group thinks this was an unfair arrest, what do you have to say about that?"

"The video speaks for itself, and the witnesses, there’s no question about it," Dwyer said. "He did the assault, he did resist."

Related: President Biden speaks to UAW members in Warren amid protests for Palestine

Dwyer says it’s a balancing act when it comes to protecting the president and managing a protest.

He says rules were laid out ahead of time — do not go in the street, do not block the street. He added that the majority of protesters respected the rules.

"It was peaceful. you’ve got over 200 demonstrators, they were loud and they were boisterous, but that’s their constitutional right, they can do that," he said. "On the other hand they have to abide by the law and by the rules."

Jaeran is being held on a $5,000 bond. If he does post it, he will have to wear a GPS tether.  His next court date is set for February 13th.

Maherr Salah Jaeran