Officer Slugs Teen During Arrest, Police Chief Defends Him and Claims It’s Just a Training Exercise
It would appear that the Lansing (MI) police department has some explaining to do.
The Lansing Police Department has some bodycam footage of a 16-year-old girl being arrested, and some are claiming that it rises to the level of police brutality. The police responded to a report of a 16-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl that were wanted for various warrants, including being runaways and committing a litany of probation violations.
The girl is first of all seen fleeing from the police and running through an array of bushes and front yards. She eventually fell and that’s when the police officers chasing her caught up to her.
The footage comes from the bodycam of officer Bailey Ueberroth, and he is seen trying to handcuff her. This is when the girl gets to her feet.
She proceeds to try to resist, and officer Ueberroth immediately responds.
“Are you wanting to get down on the ground? he asks. “Keep your hands behind your back. Remove those fingers. I’m going to have to bring you down to the ground if you keep it up.”
The girl decides to cooperate, and they walk quietly for a while. Then another struggle ensues. The teenager’s shirt starts to come loose, and she continues to struggle, all the while crying and screaming.
“Get on the ground!” Officer Ueberroth screams, and the teenager tries to release her hand, but the officer keeps her down.
Backup officer Lindsy Howley then joins in the struggle, and they end up handcuffing the teen almost immediately.
Howley’s bodycam shows the teenager being dragged by officer Ueberroth, and then another struggle ensues when they try to put her in the squad car. She refuses to put her leg in, and the officers yell, “Why won’t you put your leg in?”
Of course, so far it looks like a normal arrest, but here is where it gets a little bit controversial: Officer Ueberroth’s bodycam showed Officer Howley punching the girl in her leg.
“You’re not supposed to punch my leg!” she yells. “B****, don’t punch me!”
Of course, Lansing Police Chief Mike Yankowski did his best to do damage control. “That strike to the teenager’s thigh is part of a training technique,” he claimed. “It is supposed to be utilize as a distraction so that we can get her safely in the police car.”
Of course, a lot of the bystanders weren’t buying it, and the two officers were placed on administrative leave and an internal investigation is being conducted.
What do you think about this particular incident? Is it another example of police brutality or just a regular arrest?
