(WXYZ) — Detroit Police Department Chief James White announced on Sunday that he has suspended an officer following an incident in Midtown on Friday.
The officer was reportedly investigating a call from a Midtown business around 6:50 p.m. on September 1 regarding a person causing a disturbance.
According to a statement from the chief, when the officer arrived, they asked the person to leave the area and he refused before striking the officer on the head. The officer, the chief says, responded by striking the person in the jaw, which caused him to fall to the ground.
On Saturday after reviewing the incident, the chief says he made the decision to immediately suspend the officer pending further investigations.
“My decision was influenced by concerns that, at the very least, the officer did not adequately de-escalate or disengage from the situation,” said Chief White in a statement.
The investigation is being overseen by the Homicide Task Force with Michigan State Police as the lead. DPD also plans to conduct its own review.
More on this case is expected to be revealed in the coming days.
