BATTLE CREEK,MI (WTVB) – The Battle Creek Police Department has released body camera footage showing the controversial detention of a 16-year-old boy walking home.
The incident unfolded on a Sunday afternoon when officers attempted to stop 16-year-old Jeremiah Spearman as he walked down Hubbard Street in the Washington Heights neighborhood.
According to police, officers engaged in the stop because the teen appeared to be clutching his shorts in a manner that suggested he might be armed with a weapon. Spearman, who captured the tense exchange on his mobile device, stated he was simply walking home and felt “nervous and afraid” during the unexpected police interaction.
During the stop, the teen informed the detaining officers that he was carrying a pocket knife, after which he was searched and released shortly thereafter.
Battle Creek Police Chief Shannon Bagley stated that the responding officers were attempting to de-escalate the situation by conversing with Spearman, though an officer’s remark to the teen’s aunt, suggesting that grabbing a crotch area in the Washington Heights neighborhood justifies the assumption of a firearm, has drawn sharp community backlash.
The viral footage and the accompanying police explanation prompted immediate reactions during a Battle Creek City Commission meeting, where city leaders expressed concerns that interactions like these could instill fear in the community and damage police-public trust.
The full video is below
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