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Update: Thursday, 2:25 p.m. -- Rev. Horace Sheffield bonded out at 11:30 a.m. after his arraignment, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. He was released on a $7,500 personal bond. A pre-trial hearing is set for Feb. 21 at 11:30 a.m.
Update: Thursday, 12:05 p.m. -- Adolph Mongo, a spokesman for Rev. Horace Sheffield, said: "This is not about physical violence. This is about a cell phone. They should let them work their issues out. It should be worked out in divorce court, not criminal court."
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9:06 a.m.
Rev. Horace Sheffield III, a prominent voice in Detroit religious, civil rights and political circles who plans to run for Congress against U. S. Rep. John Conyers, is charged with domestic violence involving his estranged wife. Specifically, he is charged with domestic assault and battery and preventing a crime report.
Sheffield, a burly man who is the bishop at New Destiny Baptist Church and has long denounced violence in Detroit from the pulpit, turned himself in this morning, sources said. He is expected to be arraigned later today.
The charge stems from an incident on Jan. 10 at Sheffield's home in the 18000 block of Warrington Street on Detroit's west side. Sheffield, 59, and his wife, Dianna Lashelle Solomon, are going through a divorce.
A Detroit Police report says Solomon had been away from the home for about two weeks and returned to get some belongings.
The two argued, according to the report, and Solomon tried calling police. Sheffield allegedly grabbed the phone. It's considered domestic violence when someone prevents a person from calling 911.
The police report states that there was no other contact or an incident of violence, and that the wife said she did not fear for her life.
Sheffield could not be immediately reached for comment.
Wayne County Circuit Court records show that Sheffield and Solomon have a divorce settlement conference/trial set for Feb. 19. The divorce papers were first filed Nov. 13. Sheffield is listed as the plaintiff and Solomon as the defendant.
Solomon is active in the Michigan Democratic Party.
Sheffield comes from one of Detroit's leading political families. His daughter, Mary Sheffield, was elected in November to the Detroit City Council. His father, the late Horace Sheffield Jr., was a formidable labor and civil rights activist.
He is chairman of the Detroit Ecumenical Ministers Alliance.
