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GPRD responds to viral arrest in McDonald's parking lot

GRPD
GRPD

The Grand Rapids Police Department have responded to an arrest gone viral on social media.

Video of the incident, which happened on September 3 in a McDonald's parking lot, shows a man kneeling on the ground, surrounded by officers. An employee at the fast food chain recorded and posted a video of the incident on social media where it saw more than 200,000 views.

Employees inside the restaurant can be heard telling police that the man works at the establishment and is on the premises to pick up a paycheck. Witnesses in the video say the officers have their guns aimed at the man.

Upon cries from those in the restaurant to "lay down," the man lowers his body fully onto the ground, and police march forward, weapons drawn, as employees watching from the distance begin to shout. At this time, GPRD said the individual has been charged with resisting arrest and the investigation into the breaking and entering is continuing.

GRPD responded to the incident, saying a security alarm was triggered at a nearby business. The owners said a window had been removed from a loading dock door with a with a chair placed underneath and a "distinctive unattended backpack" on the loading dock. Officers were dispatched to the area around 6:45pm, and the backpack was gone. GPRD said Two responding officers initiated verbal contact with the individual in the McDonald’s parking lot because the backpack he was wearing fit the description given by the owners, and he was in close proximity to the location and timing of the break-in.

GRPD said Wednesday its internal affairs department was investigating the incident. Social justice advocates have also pushed for the Office of Oversight and Public Accountability to take action. The office said it will investigate.

GRPD Chief Eric Payne said he was limited in what he could share on the incident, as it is under investigation, but offered additional details Thursday:

Breaking and entering is a felony. Officers are trained to conduct high-risk stops in felony situations. The first priority in a high-risk stop is to secure the scene to protect the safety of the subject, the officers, and any bystanders. Officers followed procedures for a high-risk stop, including keeping space between themselves and the subject, using de-escalation techniques to encourage cooperation, and avoiding physical contact while dialogue is on-going. The suspect did not comply with lawfully given orders and made remarks about being suicidal.

Officers talked to the suspect for several minutes in an attempt to de-escalate the situation and secure the scene. Additional units that were headed to the break-in location, including the K-9 team that would start a track from the building, were redirected to the McDonald’s lot due to the subject’s resistance and the crowd. Officers from a neighboring jurisdiction also responded to back up GRPD officers, which often occurs in high-risk situations that are near jurisdictional boundaries.

Payne added that a review of video showed the man arrived on scene approximately 20 minutes before officers, which conflicted with witness statements saying the individual was there for several hours. Body-worn and dash-board camera footage has been collected and preserved per department regulations.

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