Michigan sheriff decries antisemitism after Temple Israel attack. Guard back home

Max Reinhart, The Detroit News on Mar 19, 2026

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PONTIAC, Mich. — Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard on Thursday decried antisemitism in the aftermath of the March 12 attack on the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield and called on community members to speak out against it when it's witnessed.

Bouchard's came as Temple Israel Rabbi Josh Bennett said security guard Danny Phillips, who was injured in the attack when he was struck by the assailant's truck, is now recovering at home.

Bouchard was joined at the Sheriff's Office building by faith leaders and local law enforcement agencies, according to a press advisory.

The sheriff noted the recent publication of police bodycam video and photos in media outlets and said it has traumatized survivors of the synagogue attack. Bouchard said his agency would not be releasing any bodycam video or other evidence until the FBI completes its investigation.

Bouchard added that while he viewed the incident as a terror attack, because it terrorized synagogue members, that determination will be made by the FBI.

Dearborn Heights resident Ayman Ghazali attacked the synagogue a week ago by ramming his pickup truck through the temple's front doors, exchanging gunfire with security guards before he died of a self-inflicted gunshot, according to the FBI.

A synagogue security guard was injured by the assailant's truck and is recovering, while more than 50 local law enforcement officers were treated for smoke inhalation. There were no reported injuries among the temple staff and preschool students who were evacuated from the synagogue.

Ghazali conducted the attack after two brothers, a niece and a nephew died in a March 5 Israeli airstrike in Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces said one of the brothers, Ibrahim Ghazali, was a Hezbollah commander who was targeted in the airstrike.

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