TikTok Video Of Michigan Police Arresting 12 Year Old Goes Viral, Officials Issue Apology
A TikTok video shows Michigan police detaining and handcuffing a 12-year-old child after an "unfortunate misunderstanding" triggered by a foot chase of a suspect wanted in connection with a suspected vehicle theft.
By late Friday afternoon, the video had prompted three statements from Lansing Mayor Andy Schor and local police. In the footage, a young 'Black boy' wearing neon yellow shorts and a white T-shirt appears to be apprehended by a police officer outside an apartment building.
A guy informed authorities that they were traumatising his son, and the male was placed in a police van before being handed to the man who claimed to be the individual's father. The?video posted on the TikTok account careyann372 has received millions of views and posts on social media, with viewers reporting that the youngster was detained while tossing garbage.
Backlash & Apology: Police Chief, Mayor Apologise After 12-Year-Old Boy's Arrest Video
The video is just about 4 minutes long. It was unclear where in town the footage was shot.
"Police harass a kid taking out the trash. The father is protecting his son. Wrong person," wrote a?TikTok?user on Thursday. In a Zoom call with reporters on Friday night, lawyers for Tashawn Bernard's family requested that police remove the Facebook post, claiming that the photo made Tashawn's shirt appear white when it was grey. According to the police, the guy they sought was wearing a white shirt.
"It does not accurately reflect what Tashawn was wearing," Grewal Law's Ayanna Neal said. "They need to take down the post."?Lansing police issued an initial explanation on social media earlier Friday, followed by a statement from Police Chief Ellery Sosebee late Friday afternoon.?
"On Thursday afternoon, our officers were investigating a string of Kia?thefts, including one specifically reported on the 3600 block of W. Jolly Road with multiple suspects," the first Facebook post stated.
"A witness described a suspect as wearing neon shorts and a white shirt." An officer responding to the call noticed a man matching this description and attempted to make contact, but the subject bolted and went west into a nearby apartment complex.?
"A different officer was in the area and saw the young man in the viral video wearing a very similar outfit and approached him," the first officer responded, establishing that the young man in the video was not the suspect?who had previously escaped.?
The young man was released when this information was gathered, and officers proceeded to search the area. "We've included photos of both persons. We blurred both photographs to protect the subjects' identities."?Along with this statement, a blurred photo of the people involved was shared.
The footage and the number of officers involved in the event sparked uproar on X, formerly Twitter.?"Just a kid taking out the trash ¡ª America," commented user Kenny Akers.
"This city is paying six police officers to arrest a child for throwing out garbage," user Frank Giugliano said.?
"He'll need people to rally around him," Rob Thomas remarked on Facebook.?"From the top down, community relations is a top priority for us as a department," the department noted. "We hope to put this unfortunate case of 'wrong place, wrong time' behind us and continue to represent the community we serve."
The department issued a statement attributed to Sosebee just after 4 p.m.?
"The Lansing Police Department officers are working hard to address the recent?car?thefts that have plagued our city."??
"Unfortunately, incidents like this happen, but we can help people understand the entire story through communication and information sharing." We recognize that something like this impacts all parties involved," said the statement.
"As Chief of Police, I want to apologize for the impact this incident had on this young man and his family. I'm requesting that the community analyze all of the facts of the matter before passing judgment. The Lansing Police Department's relationship with our community has been and will continue to be a major priority," Schor said as he apologised to the 12-year-old and his family late Friday afternoon.??
According to the family's attorneys, Tashawn was taking out the trash at his home when he was accosted by an officer brandishing a gun. The child was handcuffed and thrown into the back of a police car.
"Our client has been traumatized by this incident, so much so that young Tashawn does not want to go outside... even to get the mail," said attorney Rico Neal.?The attorneys stated they looked into "all legal options" for the family, including a lawsuit. According to the family, they want to ensure the same thing doesn't happen to anyone else.
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