HAMTRAMCK, Mich. – Hamtramck Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri has resigned and will get paid as part of an agreement with the city.
The Investigators at Local 4 obtained the settlement and mutual general release form signed by Altaheri.
Recommended Videos
As part of the agreement, the city of Hamtramck will pay Altaheri a lump-sum severance payment equal to five months of his base salary.
The severance payment will be made within 14 days of Oct. 10, 2025, and will be subject to all lawful withholdings.
According to the agreement, his employment records will reflect that he voluntarily resigned on Aug. 25, 2025.
“This entire matter was a circus created by former Hamtramck City Manager Max Garbarino – who has been fired by Hamtramck City Council -- when quiet discussions could have sufficed. We all know that workplace disagreements and misperceptions arise from time-to-time, but Mr. Garbarino chose to make this matter a media spectacle. My client is grateful for his time in Hamtramck as Police Chief even as his reputation was wrongly sullied by recrimination and innuendo. Furthermore, Mr. Altaheri is proud of his accomplishments and the relationships he fostered with Hamtramck residents and businesses”
Amir Makled, Attorney for Altaheri
The resignation comes after an investigation was launched against Altaheri.
In May 2025, an anonymous letter was sent to Michigan State Police claiming to be someone from the department, accusing Altaheri of “engaging in a pattern of behavior aimed at grooming members of the department in order to shield or obscure his actions.”
Altaheri was suspended on May 21, 2025.
The Investigators at Local 4 found that the investigation uncovered multiple incidents of Altaheri driving intoxicated in his city-issued truck. It detailed a time in September 2024 when he drove to and from a strip club with other officers.
Evidence also supported the allegations that the chief handed a loaded gun to a civilian volunteer and told her to put it to someone’s head.
The investigation also found at least five 911 calls to Altaheri’s home in the span of five months. In one of the calls, officers responded to a 911-hang up call with yelling in the background. The investigation found Altaheri then pressured the responding officers to lie on a police report to help him in a custody dispute.
According to the report, Althaheri recovered a stolen car for a friend without following proper protocol. He also directed an evidence technician to wipe his phone minutes after he was placed on leave.
Read more --> Drunk driving, destroying evidence, fake police report: Deep dive into Hamtramck investigation