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Detroit City Council bans some businesses from locking doors with patrons inside

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Detroit City Council bans some businesses from locking doors with patrons inside

Detroit — The Detroit City Council on Tuesday voted to amend a city ordinance to specify that businesses with bulletproof glass cannot lock patrons inside the establishment after three people were shot and one man died in a gas station incident last year.

The nine-member council voted 7-0 on the ordinance “to bring attention to the dangers of businesses restraining patrons against their will,” according to the resolution. Councilmembers Angela Whitfield Calloway and Gabriela Santiago-Romero were absent.

The ordinance comes in tribute to Gregory Karlos Samuel Fortner-Kelly, a city resident who was fatally shot May 6, 2023, after being locked inside a gas station with an active shooter.

The incident occurred at about 3 a.m. at a Mobil gas station in the 12800 block of West McNichols in Detroit. Clerk Al-Hassan Aiyash locked the door to prevent Samuel McCray from leaving after McCray’s card was declined and he attempted shoplifting $3.80 of merchandise. McCray allegedly shot three people, including Kelly, inside the gas station. He is facing four charges, including first-degree murder, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, with a hearing set for July 8.

The clerk faced involuntary manslaughter charges for locking the door, but it wasn’t clear if Aiyash knew the shooter had a gun before locking the door. The case is still pending as Aiyash has appealed to the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court and is awaiting a decision.

The new ordinance adds: “It shall be unlawful for a business operator of an establishment with any bulletproof protective barrier separating a business operator from patrons to knowingly restrain a patron from leaving the establishment, using any remote door locking technology.”

A business operator of an establishment who violates the ordinance will be charged with a misdemeanor.

“The goal of this is to ensure that we keep the threat outside the convenience store, gas station, liquor stores or party stores,” said councilman James Tate. “This does not just simply apply to gas stations, but many commercial business that has their cash register behind bulletproof glass. Unfortunately, Kelly lost his life because of it.”

There’s still work to be done, Tate said, with state laws.

“More needs to be done to address shopkeepers who contain those who are suspected of thievery and we are going to be working on that,” he said.

srahal@detroitnews.comX: @SarahRahal_

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