Father holding baby fends off gunman at Detroit gas station on Father’s Day

A chilling assault caught on video surveillance at a Detroit gas station on Father’s Day shows a man point a gun at another man holding a baby.

Footage released by the Detroit Police Department shows the victim juggling the sleeping baby with one arm while putting out his other hand in an effort to shield the child from potential gunfire.

According to police, the encounter took place just before 6 p.m. Sunday at a Valero north of Dearborn after a man told officers the gunman followed him inside the business.

It was not immediately known what provoked the suspect to pull the gun, but video shows the shirtless victim throw one arm up while still holding the baby, hitting the weapon and possibly causing it to malfunction.

https://t.co/6B3WkAYlg2 pic.twitter.com/SCkcgUGA6b

— DPD 2nd Precinct (@DPD2Pct) June 20, 2022

Detroit police Second Deputy Chief Rudy Harper told USA TODAY Wednesday that the man and baby are related. Their ages were not immediately known, he said.

Initially, detectives asked the public for help identifying the suspect, who fled the store after the incident. On Wednesday, Harper said, a person of interest had been taken into custody. Police did not identify the person.

No injuries were reported in the assault case which remained under investigation Wednesday, police said.