GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Payne said he initiated an internal affairs investigation after officers confronted a group of demonstrators downtown Sunday evening.
A car parade honoring Breonna Taylor stopped at the intersection of Fulton Street and Division Avenue around 6 p.m. Payne said the downtown intersection was completely blocked, and officers worked to clear out people and cars.
Demonstrators said officers escalated the situation by shoving people and pulling some to the ground. Video shows one woman getting pushed back and falling over.
Payne said he's heard concerns about the incident, which is what prompted the internal investigation.
"I want to see exactly what occurred from the police side and make sure that officers are conducting themselves properly," he said Monday.
Five to seven people were arrested at the demonstration Sunday night, Payne said. The city attorney will decide what, if any, charges will be brought.
The police chief said the investigation is still in preliminary stages, being less than 24 hours from the clash between police and the demonstrators.
"It does take time. We want to be thorough. Anytime we look into these things and make sure we're looking at everything that we have. So if there's someone who wants to talk to internal affairs, they are available to speak with," Payne said.
The Internal Affairs unit will review reports of the night before presenting findings to the police chief on whether officers violated department policy.
"I want to make sure that we’re holding the officers accountable. But there’s accountability for the community also," he said.
The police chief also met with a group of people who were a part of Sunday's event to hear their concerns on Monday afternoon. Members of Justice For Black Lives, an organization that has coordinated a number of recent protests, along with members of Breonna Taylor's family said in an interview following the meeting that they are awaiting the outcome of the internal investigation.
"We talked about what happened from our perspective we talked about how the event came about and how it turned into what it did," said JFBL co-founder Rori Harris. "From their perspective, it was a safety issue they thought that we were there to riot or to take over the building."
Breonna's aunt Kya Taylor and cousin Erica Eaves said Sunday's event was meant to be a family event that honored Breonna while her mother was in town. The family says car parades have been frequent in Kentucky, where Breonna was shot and killed by Louisville police.
"A lot of swear words were used, a lot of aggression was used by the police department, and for the family it was all for peace," Kya Taylor said. "Just to celebrate the life and legacy of Breonna Taylor."
Payne said he believes there was a "breakdown in communication" on Sunday between the demonstrators and police, and responding officers were unclear what the situation was.
Payne emphasized he wants to work with groups and have a dialogue with community members.
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