DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Detroit police officer is on administrative duty following a lewd rant from earlier this year caught on body cam.
On the night of June 19, two Detroit police officers responded to a call to 911 that came from an apartment at 14th Street and LaSalle.
“I just had some people at my house and I’ve asked them to leave, and they’re not leaving,” the female caller said.
There was no mention of a weapon or imminent danger, so the call was listed as a priority 3.
It would take police more than an hour to be dispatched, records show, and another hour to find the right apartment, as the 911 call taker did not take down the caller’s complete address.
By the time officers arrived, the man and woman inside had fallen asleep. As soon as the male officer arrived, he was heard shouting expletives at the man seated on a recliner.
“Put your f------ hands up! Put your f------ hands up!” the officer shouted.
“My hands is up, man,” the man replied.
“What the f--- is wrong with you, you stupid mother f-----?” the officer said.
The woman who had called 911 was woken up too, quickly telling the responding officer that she suffers from mental illness.
ONGOING INVESTIGATION: Conduct Unbecoming: Detroit’s Troubled Officers
“Ma’am, go back in your room,” the officer told her.
“When it’s time to come, it’s time to come, okay?” she said.
“There were other crimes happening in Detroit!” the officer responded. “Give an apartment number next time. Get back in your f------ room!”
The male officer’s temper flares throughout the five-minute interaction, but once he establishes that the unwanted guests are no longer in the apartment, he prepares to leave.
But not before making things worse.
“Hey, I got an idea,” he said. “Don’t let people inside the house that you don’t want inside the house. Bottom line."
Seconds later, after the man and woman are heard arguing, the officer interjects once more.
“You know what? Both of you two need Jesus or some s---.”
“What you need?” the woman asked.
“What I need is to go straight to f------ hell, ma’am. When I knock on the god-damn door, you answer the f------ door! You too! Dumb motherf------!
The woman responds, calling the officer the same name he just called her.
He responds: “That’s why you’re getting you’re a-- beat every god-damn night, you dumb b----.”
On the way out the door, his partner can be heard laughing.
The woman would file a complaint with the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, through their Office of the Chief Investigator.
“That’s misconduct and unprofessional,” said Commissioner Cedric Banks. “Even if that citizen is (being disruptive) and out of order, they’re still supposed to maintain a professionalism about themselves to represent the city of Detroit.”
The complaint was investigated quickly and the officer's misconduct was later sustained. The officer has been on administrative duty since July and is awaiting discipline.
“That goes deeper than just a demeanor complaint, that’s very assaultive towards a citizen,” said Commissioner Ricardo Moore. “It could be considered a simple assault.”
Aric Tosqui is the Commander of DPD’s 10th precinct, where both officers work. He made no excuses for the male officer’s behavior, and offered his apologies to the woman who called 911.
“It’s inexcusable to act like that to a citizen who’s either in distress or not complying,” Tosqui said. “There is a level of expectation that we have with our officers that just wasn’t met.”
Commander Tosqui thanked the woman for filing a citizen's complaint about the officer’s conduct, and encouraged others to do the same if they have a negative interaction with an officer.
“A person remembers a bad police encounter,” Commissioner Moore said. “Then they tell their friends, they tell their friends, and that’s why we have a lot of citizens who distrust the police when they should be liking the police.”
Contact 7 Investigator Ross Jones at ross.jones@wxyz.com or at (248) 827-9466.
