'Vicious, Senseless Attack': Oakland Co. Man Guilty Of Beating Man, 80, In Gym Locker Room

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI — A Farmington Hills man on Friday was found guilty of nearly beating an elderly man to death inside an Oakland County YMCA last year.

Malik Ali Smith, 21, attacked an 80-year-old man inside a Farmington Hills YMCA, located at 28100 Farmington Road at 11 a.m. on March 1, 2024, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Smith and the elderly man exchanged words inside the locker room.

A witness then saw Smith slam the victim's head against a counter, before a good Samaritan pulled Smith away from the elderly man, prosecutors said.

Smith then ran from the facility and multiple schools in the area were placed on lockdown while officers searched for him, according to police.

Officers found Smith shortly later on Parkhill Street, north of 12 Mile Road where officers arrested him in connection with the beating, according to police.

Local reports identified the good Samaritan as former University of Michigan wide receiver Braylon Edwards.

"I didn’t know it was that serious, I mean the victim probably had a serious concussion by nature but It wasn’t until I talked to the detective Jacobs down in Farmington who told me that if I didn’t step in but at the end of the day that’s what you do," Edwards told WDIV.

Smith was found guilty of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, which is punishable by up to ten years in prison. He was initially charged with assault with intent to murder in the incident.

He will be sentenced on May 20.

"The victim was left unconscious and bleeding, and he had to be hospitalized after this assault," said Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald. "When we first brought charges, I said this was a vicious, senseless attack and clearly the jury agreed after looking at the evidence. Their verdict will hopefully provide the victim a measure of justice."