GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Grand Rapids Police Department has released body camera footage from an officer on scene when three minors were detained and handcuffed.
The incident occurred on Sunday, Aug. 26, after a report of two young African American males walking down the street with what appeared to be a gun.
About a half mile away, three boys, 11-year-old twin brothers and a 17-year old, were stopped by officers who drew their weapons before calling for backup and detaining the boys. Police say the boys matched the initial description they had for the suspects with a gun.
"She gave clothing description including the colors of shirts that matched these individuals, when officers responded to the location about four minutes later, these individuals were a half a dozen blocks from that location," GRPD Police Chief David Rahinsky said.
The boys were later cleared, after police said they did not find a firearm and received more details on the original suspects.
"They unhandcuffed these individuals within a minute of the interaction,. They placed them in the back seat of the car unhancuffed while they contacted family members to come pick up the kids," Rahinsky said. "This is an instance of us, I think growing into the youth interaction policy. And you can see it's evident from the way the interaction took place that progress is being made."
In an interview, the twin boys' mother said they were devastated by the experience.
"They had been in a traumatic experience: guns, handcuffs, thinking they're going to jail, scared the police may shoot them," said Juanita Ligon, the boys' mother. "They heard different stories of police and now, they're being placed in a situation where guns are facing them."
Chief Rahinksy says he hopes Ligon watches the body camera footage.
"I'm hoping that after she sees it, she'll be willing to sit down with us and have these conversations," Rahinksy said. "I think any of us—from the officers there and that's apparent by the way they talked to these young man, I think everyone can understand why the officers did what they did and I think everyone can also sympathize with the young men and the mother."
The department provided footage from one officer's camera. That officer was responsible for keeping watch on the boys as they took them into custody. At the end of the video, the officer talks to one of the 11-year-old boys about why they were stopped, and reassures him they are not in any trouble.
GRPD Chief David Rahinsky addressed the media just after noon on Friday about the incident.
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