Friday, the Lansing Police Department reported that a white police officer placed handcuffs on a Black child outside his residence in Michigan in a case of “wrong place, wrong time.” Thursday, a cell phone video circulated on social media showing an officer leading a child with his wrists cuffed behind his back through the parking lot of an apartment complex. In response, the department posted an explanation on Facebook.
When the officer noticed the child, he was seeking for a suspect in a series of car thefts. During a press conference conducted by his family and attorneys on Friday, the boy was identified as 12-year-old Tashawn Bernard. Tashawn was transporting trash to the dumpster when he was confronted by an officer who had his “gun unholstered and was holding it in front of him,” according to the family’s attorney. An officer removed Tashawn’s restraints and spoke with him for approximately thirty seconds at approximately three minutes into the incident’s video. Then, Tashawn was granted permission to accompany his father on the sidewalk.
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Father’s Distress: Son Handcuffed by Police Leaves Family in Shock
Michael Bernard, Tashawn’s father, stated that he could tell something was amiss when his son took longer than usual to take out the garbage. When he walked outside, his son was handcuffed and surrounded by police, he said. Ayanna and Rico Neal, attorneys for the Bernard family, stated that Tashawn is so “traumatized” that he “no longer wants to go outside.”
Friday, police stated that officials wished to “provide background information on this unfortunate misunderstanding.” A witness described the suspect’s attire before a person matching the description fled into an apartment complex, according to police. According to police, a second officer observed the child wearing “a very similar outfit,” detained him, and then released him after realizing he was not the suspect.
The Bernard family’s attorneys say they have not received any additional information from police beyond what has been shared on social media. The family is “exploring all legal options,” including “the possibility of filing a lawsuit,” according to the family’s counsel. The Kenosha, Wisconsin, police have initiated an internal investigation after a second video posted on social media appears to show an officer striking a Black man on July 20 whom the officer mistook for a hit-and-run motorist.
Witnesses told police that two men and a woman transporting an infant fled in the direction of an Applebee’s restaurant. A restaurant employee directed officers in the direction of a man carrying an infant. The perpetrators of the collision were then discovered hidden in the restaurant’s restroom.
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Source: ABC News
