Three members of a Brandon Township family were arraigned on assault charges after attacking some local teenagers last week in the township.
Bryan Hanley, 44, was arraigned on three counts of felonious assault/assault with a dangerous weapon, punishable by up to four years in prison; Aaron Hanley, 18, was arraigned on one count of felonious assault and one count of malicious destruction of property; and Cheryl Kempf, 41, was arraigned on one count of simple assault, all on May 3 in front of 52-2 District Court Magistrate Thomas Raguso.
According to police reports, on April 30, a 19-year-old man from Holly and 18-year-old man from Clarkston contacted Aaron Hanley and said they wanted to meet him at the Village Skate Park to talk to him about a 16-year-old Clarkston boy Aaron Hanley had beaten the day before. The 18- and 19-year-olds arrived with several young women. Aaron Hanley met them with several teens as well as his girlfriend, and suggested they go to Bloomer Park #3 on State Park Road because the Skate Park is patrolled regularly by police and no one is allowed in the park after closing time.
Both groups drove to the state park, and prior to their arrival, Bryan Hanley and Cheryl Kempf, Aaron Hanley’s parents, were contacted and drove to the park in their white minivan.
When the Clarkston group arrived and drove to the back of the park, Aaron and Bryan Hanley blocked the exit with their vehicles to prevent escape by the Clarkston teens.
Witnesses told police Bryan Hanley jumped out of the minivan and brandished a large wrench. He called the 18-year-old Clarkston man, who is black, a racial slur before striking him with the wrench. When he was on the ground, he was again beaten with the wrench, fists and feet until he was able to get up to flee. At that time, Bryan Hanley threw the wrench at him.
Aaron Hanley got out of the car he was in and wielded a wooden bat, with which he struck the 19-year-old Holly man in the head and then proceeded to punch and kick the victim while he was on the ground.
Cheryl Kempf punched one of the girls from Clarkston in the face, then ordered the pitbull terrier that she and Bryan Hanley had brought with them to attack the victims. The pitbull chased the victim that Aaron Hanley struck in the head to his car. The man was able to get in a car without being attacked by the dog.
While the victims were in the car the group came after them again and began to smash the windows with rocks and damage the hood and doors.The attackers then fled the scene, while the victims went to a nearby home and called 911.
The victims were taken to Genesys Regional Medical Center for treatment. The 18-year-old man who was hit in the head with the wrench had a severe laceration that required stitches and also had a concussion. The 19-year-old man beaten with the bat suffered a severe injury to his right eye and a severely injured nose. Both victims were hospitalized.
Deputies were able to determine who the attackers were from descriptions and arrested the Hanleys and Kempf at their township home. A 17-year-old male Brandon resident was released after being interviewed and five juveniles found at the home who were not part of the attack were all released to their parents.
Bryan Hanley was given a $25,000, 10 percent bond. Conditions include that he is not allowed at any state park nor the Ortonville Skate Park and he is to have no contact with any victims or witnesses in this case. Aaron Hanley was given a $10,000, 10 percent bond with the same conditions and Cheryl Kempf was given a $2,500 personal bond with the same conditions.
Their next court date is at 1:30 p.m., May 9, at 52-2 District Court.
Police also believe Bryan Hanley, a former Ortonville Village Skate Park monitor, is the adult male who was rounding up kids for organized fights in April, first reported in The Citizen last week.
Brandon deputies took three separate complaints of groups fighting at local parks and one in a church parking lot last month. Upon arrival the fights had been dispersed and no victims would come forward, although witnesses stated it was Bryan Hanley getting Brandon kids to fight other kids and in one incident, Hanley attacked an Oxford teen with his fist and a large fight started between the group of Brandon kids and the ones from Oxford.