Slew Of Charges Filed Against Man Beaten By Detroit-Area Police
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - A man who was caught on video being kicked by Detroit-area police while under arrest has been charged with carjacking, armed robbery and many other crimes.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office announced charges Thursday against Andrew Jackson. He's accused of robbing a 55-year-old woman who was cleaning snow off of her car on Jan. 12 in the 18200 block of Evergreen, and threatening to shoot her grandchildren if they didn't get out of the vehicle.
Police assigned to an auto-theft unit arrested Jackson that same day in a Detroit neighborhood near Plainview and Pickford streets, south of 7 Mile Road. Video made by a woman inside her home shows Jackson being kicked and beaten by officers from Grosse Pointe Park and Highland Park while they taunt him, shouting expletives.
[Watch the video HERE >>Note: Extremely Strong Language]
"What'd you say? Jesus? You're calling Jesus?" an officer, at one point, asks the man. "You f—er! Don't you dare; don't you f—ing dare."
"This man is handcuffed and the police is beating him while his hands is cuffed behind him… They were kicking him and pistol-whipping him," the woman said, narrating as she records the action talking place out on the sidewalk.
"They just found a pistol on this guy…. They just took the clip out, and I guess he shot at them or something, I don't know," she said.
Shortly after the incident, a statement issued by Grosse Pointe Park Police Chief David Hiller said the officers' actions were "proper."
"The officers in this case arrested an extremely dangerous wanted felon who was armed with a hand gun," the statement reads. "Due to the totality of the circumstances we believe the actions of the officers in affecting the arrest proper."
According to the statement, when the suspect resisted arrest, one of the officers deployed a Taser — but it didn't work due to suspect's heavy clothing.
"The subject continued to reach for the area of his waist band and refused all orders to show his hands. He curled up in a ball and his right hand again went under his clothing. Fearing for their safety and those in the immediate area, an officer delivered a kick to the thigh area of the subject thus allowing the other officers the ability to arrest the subject. Located in his waist band was a loaded semi-automatic handgun."
The prosecutor's office says an investigation of the officers is ongoing.
Ron Scott, director of The Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality, organized a small protest a day after Jackson's arrest. He condemned the officers' actions, calling on prosecutors to bring criminal charges.
"It was despicable. It was horrible and it was barbaric, and it certainly was not professional," he said. "This was especially deplorable given the circumstances we are facing in the nation at this point with Michael Brown being shot and police brutality."
Jackson is an ex-convict who was released from prison in 2013. He's facing charges of carjacking, armed robbery, assault with intent to rob while armed, felonious assault, carrying a concealed weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful driving away of an automobile, resisting and obstructing, and felony firearm.
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