LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Safety video of an East Lansing police officer utilizing pepper spray in opposition to two younger males on Aug. 24 in entrance of a downtown restaurant is sparking sturdy reactions from local people leaders.
The video was obtained by 6 Information Investigates and shared with East Lansing Metropolis Councilwoman Dana Watson and Harold Pope, Jr., president of the NAACP Lansing Department for his or her reactions.
“This is a disturbing video,” Pope mentioned. “I feel outraged.”
“I’m sad,” Watson mentioned. “And I don’t think that young people deserve to be treated that way.”
Harold Pope, president of the NAACP Lansing Department, screenshot of video interview with WLNS 6 Information. (WLNS)
Dana Watson East Lansing Metropolis Councilwoman. (Courtesy Metropolis of East Lansing. WLNS)
6 Information Investigates obtained the footage from Jack Rucker, an legal professional representing Lonnie Smith, one of many two males pepper sprayed, arrested and subsequently charged with disorderly conducting preventing. Rucker obtained the video from the town as a part of discovery within the case. A police report on the incident reveals the town obtained the footage on Sept. 16 from the restaurant.
The video, Rucker mentioned, reveals Smith was making an attempt to stop his good friend Mason Woods from changing into embroiled in a combat. Each Smith, 21, and Woods, 22, have been charged with disorderly conduct preventing. Woods was additionally charged with hindering or obstructing an officer.
ELPD mentioned in a information launch Sept. 26, officers “responded to a crowd where they observed physical violence occurring between Smith and Woods.”
In that information launch, officers launched physique digicam movies of the incident. They didn’t launch the safety video, nonetheless, which was of their possession.
Metropolis officers have declined to touch upon this case or the video.
“It is my position that this illuminates and contradicts the narrative that was put out about this incident, and that’s why it was not released,” Rucker informed 6 Information Investigates.
Pope concurred.
“So, we’ve been asking for the videos and — I don’t know why this one is just coming out,” Pope mentioned. “This one tells a completely different story than the other ones that came out. This shows, without a doubt, that the police were more engaged in escalating, escalating a condition than they were in this de-escalating. And as a result, those students, those individuals that were there had to — had, had to experience something that they should never have to experience.”
Watson, who additionally serves as co-representative from the town council to the East Lansing Unbiased Police Oversight Fee, mentioned the failure to launch the surveillance video reminded her of a battle the Fee and group had with East Lansing police over movies associated to a 2022 officer concerned taking pictures on the Meijer on Lake Lansing Rd. She mentioned the ELIPOC and group members needed to “fight” to get surveillance video.
“Then that footage was released and you start seeing a different, more whole story than the body cam worn footage,” she mentioned. “So, I’ll say that because I’ve been in it and seen the fight that goes on with just community wanting to see what happened from all angles. I’m not surprised [the city withheld the video].”
Each Pope and Watson raised considerations about using the pepper spray.
“I live in East Lansing. I have children that match the people that were pepper sprayed. My oldest is a Michigan State University student,” Watson mentioned. “My youngest is a freshman. I have two girls and a boy and if they were helping each other out downtown East Lansing because one of them was too inebriated, it would break my heart to see them pepper sprayed or to see anybody unnecessarily pepper sprayed because we don’t — I’m sad.”
