GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Costs pegged to the recent Grand Rapids riot is approaching $2.4 million, which includes damage to municipal property, Wyoming police cruisers and family-owned businesses.
The city of Grand Rapids on Wednesday said property damage is assessed at $748,000. Costs to city departments, which includes police overtime and damaged equipment, top $1.3 million. Wyoming losses make up the balance.
The numbers are preliminary, and staggering. And they do not include what merchants lost from looting during the chaos that followed a protest to denounce the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
The city of Wyoming, meanwhile, suffered $325,000 in losses to five Wyoming police cruisers that were torched during the May 30 riot.
“We are down four patrol cars and one tactical car,’’ Wyoming Police Lt. Eric Wiler said. “This includes vehicles and all the equipment.’’
Wiler said each car was valued at $65,000. Equipment losses include life-saving automated external defibrillators, in-car computers and tactical gear.
Wyoming now has about two dozen patrol cars, Wiler said.
The city of Grand Rapids on Saturday pegged preliminary damage losses at $448,000. Kent County estimated damages to its buildings at $300,000.
On Wednesday, Grand Rapids officials provided updated numbers, which includes more than $1.3 million in costs and losses to city departments.
They include:
- $503,000 in police overtime costs
- $351,400 in equipment
- $245,000 for vehicles
- $101,300 for supplies
The breakdown provided by the city did not specify if costs listed for vehicles and equipment was for damage.
Up until Wednesday afternoon, damage estimates had been sparse. The Kent County administrator last week said damage to county-owned buildings topped $300,000.
Grand Rapids officials on Saturday said damage to public and private property was $448,000. The city of Wyoming weighed in Wednesday morning with a $325,000 damage estimate to its five police cruisers.
Then, on Wednesday afternoon, Grand Rapids said costs to city departments, notably police, topped $1.3 million. Again, the total does not include losses for what was looted from scores of downtown Grand Rapids businesses.
So, between the City of Grand Rapids, the City of Wyoming and Kent County, losses and expenses attributed to the rioting currently approach $2.4 million.
Eight adults and one juvenile have been charged with felonies related to the riot.
John Jonathan Dupree, 23, of Kentwood; Ronald Allen Raymond, 38, who is listed as homeless; and Matthew Henning Hurth, 26, of Grand Rapids, have been charged with malicious destruction of police property, a four-year felony.
Raymond is also charged with attempted third-degree arson, a five-year felony. Investigators say he put a burning mannequin into a Wyoming police vehicle.
The trio also are charged with riot, a 10-year offense.
Hurth was arraigned Tuesday, June 9 in 61st District Court. Raymond and Dupree were arraigned last week. All three have since been released from the Kent County Jail; they have probable cause conferences later this month.
Also appearing in 61st District Court on Tuesday was 23-year-old Olivia Marie Hull.
She is charged with riot and breaking and entering a building with intent – both 10-year felonies. Police say she entered Sundance Grill & Bar at 151 Ottawa Avenue NW with the intent to steal and riot.
Hull, a mother of two who had been living in Cedar Springs, remained locked up Wednesday afternoon on a $25,000 bond. She has a probable cause conference set for June 23.
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker says more criminal charges are likely as investigators continue sifting through evidence.
“I anticipate there’s going to be more charges, but it’s just going to take a long time, given the sheer number of videos and all the people involved,’’ he said.
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