a Hood Research Publication

Lansing False Arrest, A Violation of Civil Rights


Lansing Michigan Police falsely arrested a 12 year old child. See the various links at the end of this article. This is a violation of the child’s civil rights. There is video of the arrest. The police further violated the civil rights of the family, specifically the child’s father when they refused to allow the father to speak with the child. Its not clear if the officers mirandized the child as required by law.

Lansing police further violated policing policy at both the state level and their local level. In the video it’s clear there are many police present participating in the arrest and detainment of the child. The police applied handcuffs, making an arrest, and placed the child into the police vehicle. At this point the police had total custody of the child just as if the police had placed the child in jail.

The video ‘went viral‘ and the Lansing police publicly engaged in a cover-up of their conduct and likely illegal actions. The Lansing police stated that the Black Child was in the “Wrong Place [at the] Wrong Time”. An old southern phrase made popular during the abusive period known as ‘Jim Crow’. It has been further stated that the police ‘mistakenly arrested’ the child. This is an impossibility in that a mistake implies something involuntary or where there is confusion as to how to perform or what to do. It’s clear within the video that the Lansing police were in full control. There were many opportunities to seek more information, to confirm every action before the child was arrested. None of the measures that could have ensured no civil rights were violated or any violation of law were followed by any of the police present. Lastly its been reported that the arrest was an ‘accident’. As if arresting someone can be performed as easy as dropping your cell phone.

This action demands an investigation. The governor, Gretchen Whitmer as well as the state attorney general, Dana Nessel, can investigate to ensure this does not re-occur. To date neither of them have made a statement. Additionally the mayor of Lansing has been silent. Finally the civil rights organizations in Michigan, the NAACP and the National Action Network have also been silent.

It doesn’t require a death at the hands of the police to warrant a response to improper and illegal actions by police. The family of the young child is reportedly considering a lawsuit. But what happens the next time a child follows their fathers instructions to take out the garbage? What happens the next time a child leaves the home perhaps to go to school? How can a Black person who is only 12 years old avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time? It’s the standard set nearly 100 years ago when Blacks invented Green Books to navigate racism and outright corruption in the South. Do we need this to navigate various cities in America?

Lansing police detained a Black child who was in the ‘wrong place, wrong time,’ department says

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/08/11/michigan-police-detained-a-black-child-who-was-in-the-wrong-place-wrong-time-department-says/70579325007/

https://www.detroitnews.com

https://x.com/hoodresearch/status/1690404098158239744?s=61&t=1WlpuMGurX6JprMM6ibk5w

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