Grand Rapids Police come under fire after their officers pulled their guns on five unarmed teens. |
Grand Rapids Police are under fire for an incident that happened in March. The police department decided to release the footage from the encounter. Of course, to justify why they did what they did to innocent Black boys. From the view of an officer's body camera, the cop pulls up on five Black boys and orders them to the ground.
The boys ranged from age 12 to 14, were walking from the Salvation Army Kroc Center on Division Avenue after playing basketball when they were stopped by the law.
The law approached the teens with guns drawn, ordering them to ground, searching them and placing two of them in the hand bracelets. The cops said that they followed procedures by the book.
INFURIATING.— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) April 23, 2017
Grand Rapids cops point their guns at 5 young black boys, claiming they thought they were armed. They weren't. They are 12 y/o pic.twitter.com/FSnptb5eke
The teens were released to their parents and got a full explanation of why they approached them.
They claimed that someone spotted them with a gun.
They were trying to justify their detainment by getting the junk food media on their side.
This weekend, the department said they arrested individuals who were actually carrying firearms.
Local junk food media says that the police arrested a 12-year old, 14-year old and 16-year old accused of gun crimes. They are being held in juvie... They are innocent until proven guilty.
A report shows that the Grand Rapids Police have pulled over more minorities at an unjust rate.
The chief, David Rahinsky apologized, but said to the junk food media, the officers acted professionally and the police union defended the actions.
"The officers' response was measured, it was appropriate, it was professional in regards to responding to information about young people with a gun," Rahinsky said. "I appreciate that there's an emotional response to having seen that. If that's my child, my son, I would feel very similar.
Rahinsky: It wasn't your son. I bet your son is probably getting off a traffic ticket or probably committing crimes under your nose. I'm just saying. he wouldn't have faced a police officer with guns drawn at him.
"We have never, nor will we ever, fail in our duty to protect the public, given the information we are handed and the circumstances we find ourselves in," union leaders wrote in a statement.
Here's a question: If the teens were White, would the police had stopped them? I mean isn't Michigan an open carry state? Don't the NRA support the legal right to carry firearms in public. Or is that justified for White, Republican, white and rich men and boys!?
Grand Rapids is 189,000 residents and is surrounded by Interstate 96, Interstate 196, U.S. Highway 131 and the Paul B. Henry Freeway (M-6).
The second largest city in the state of Michigan is home to Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI). What is his opinion on the matter?
Of course, Michigan's Republican governor Rick Snyder and Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) should be swamped with calls. What can they do in the wake of this controversy?
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