GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Grand Rapids police officers drew their weapons and handcuffed three boys on Sunday, Aug. 26. They were two 11-year-old twin brothers and a 17 year old.
The boys were later cleared, after police said they did not find a firearm and received more details on the original suspects.
"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," the twins' mother Juanita Ligon said.
Police were responding to a 911 call that came in at 8:07 p.m. about two African American 13-year-old boys walking near Alto Avenue SE and Griggs Street SE. The caller said one of the boys had a gun. The caller said the boy with the gun had on a red shirt and the other had on a black shirt.
Ligon said police told her they didn't have a clear description.
"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."
Around 8:12 p.m. officers began searching the area when they saw three boys walking near Eastern Avenue and Elliot Street SE, which is a little more than half a mile from the original location. Officers say they originally stopped them because they matched the description from the caller based on the colors of their t-shirts.
Police stopped the three boys at gunpoint and called for backup before taking them into custody. GRPD said that they first put the 17 year old, who was wearing a black t-shirt, in handcuffs because he did not initially comply with the officers commands. The teen was then placed in the back of a cruiser.
Officers then put one of the 11 year olds in handcuffs. One was wearing a red shirt. They searched him, and then asked him his age. When he told police that he was 11, they took him out of handcuffs and put him in a police car.
The other 11-year-old boy was wearing a white shirt, and officers handcuffed and searched him, as well. They then asked him his age, and upon learning he was learning 11, police removed the handcuffs and put him in the back of the police car.
Police did not find any firearms in their search.
The officers then contacted the original caller who gave a more detailed description of the suspects they saw. The caller clarified that the boy they saw in the red shirt was wearing blue jeans and was the same height as the other boy he was walking with. None of the three boys who officers took into custody were wearing blue jeans, nor were the two boys in red and black shirts the same height.
"They had to call the caller back to get a clear description, so why did you stop anyone if you did not have a clear description," Ligon said.
Police said, "It was determined after speaking with the caller that the individuals in custody were not involved in the incident."
The 17 year old was released, and the 11-year-old boys were released to their grandfather.
GRPD said they spoke to all three individuals and explained why they took them into custody. Police said they also called the mother of the twin boys and explained the situation and reason for the stop.
Police did not locate any additional suspects that fit the description the caller gave, so they left the neighborhood.
GRPD said this area has had five cases of illegal firearms being found and nine reports of gunshots since June 1.
Police will continue to investigate this incident. GRPD said that they are listening the 911 call and reviewing footage from the police cars and body cameras. They also met with community partners, including the local NAACP.
This incident follows a recent case where GRPD officers handcuffed an 11-year-old girl while they were looking for an attempted murder suspect. In response to that, the department instituted the Honestie Policy in December 2017.
The policy put into place new parameters for officers when interacting and arresting children.
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