Here We Go Again. Mother Calls Out Grand Rapids PD for Handcuffing 11-Year-Old Twins. [WATCH]
One family in Grand Rapids, Michigan is completely fed up with the police department after they say their children were held at gunpoint and handcuffed by their officers. Here's how it all went down according to Michigan Live:
"Police were dispatched shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday after the department's dispatch center received a report that a group of at least two black males around the age of 13 were seen walking in the area of Alto Avenue SE and Griggs Street SE with a handgun."
"The description of the boys included that one was wearing a red shirt and one was wearing a black shirt, police said.
About a half mile away from that area, police spotted a group of three black juveniles -- 11-year-old brothers Martrell and Martrez Coston, and a 17-year-old male -- who were walking near the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Elliott Street SE. One was wearing a red shirt, and another a black shirt."
The entire incident was captured on bodycam footage and released to the public just days after the August 26th ordeal.
No gun was found on either of the boys and the mother of the twins, Juanita Ligon, is now calling for an internal investigation because she believes her children were racially profiled. Ligon first lashed out on social media demanding answers for the treatment of her sons.
"They were devastated, they were scared, they had been in a traumatic experience, guns, handcuffs, thinking they're going to jail, scared, the police may shoot them, they heard different stories of police and now they're being placed in a situation where guns are facing them, multiple officers," Ligon told WZZIM 13 News. She also added the fact that the police officers did not have a complete description of their suspects. The shirt colors were the same but they later discovered that their suspects wore jeans, Ligon's sons wore shorts.
"If you did not have a clear description, why would you stop them? What reason were they stopped? You have no description," Ligon said. "They were profiled, just because of the color of their skin, I even give the officers - they wouldn't know the age difference between 11 and 13, but just because they were a black boy."
I'm so glad these children weren't hurt, or worse! These cases are becoming all too familiar here in this country and something has to be done about it.
