Residents air concerns at Lansing police commission meeting after controversial arrest

LANSING — More than 50 people attended a Lansing Board of Police Commissioners meeting Tuesday to air their concerns after a video surfaced online Friday showing a white Lansing police officer punching a handcuffed black 16-year-old girl in the legs while the girl was resisting being put in a police cruiser.

Attendees called for police accountability. Some called for the two officers involved in the arrest to be fired. 

Teshia Johnson, 39, told board members Tuesday her heart races anytime she is pulled over.

That fear is common among black and brown people who have "been treated like dirt" by police, Johnson said. 

"I'm available," to help, Johnson told the advisory board. "Will you listen?"

Officers Lindsey Howley, who repeatedly struck the girl's legs, and Bailey Ueberroth, who assisted with the arrest, are on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation into whether the use of force by police was appropriate.

Police said they were trying to take the runaway teen, whose name is not being released due to her juvenile status, into custody.

The 16-year old girl has been petitioned into juvenile court on one count of resisting and obstructing police, the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office said Thursday. A 15-year-old boy who was arrested at the same time faces delinquency petitions for resisting and obstructing police and damaging police property, officials said.

On Tuesday, several speakers, many of whom belonged to the Lansing chapter of Black Lives Matter, questioned why Howley didn't use more deescalation techniques before striking the girl 18 times in the legs.

Local activist groups, including Black Lives Matter and the 8th district chapter of Michigan Indivisible, released a list of demands this week, including a demand that the city provide compensation to the girl's family.

Lansing Police Chief Mike Yankowski said Friday officers are trained in a technique that involves a blow to the thigh as a distraction in order to get a resisting suspect to comply.

Yankowski spent nearly 30 minutes following the meeting answering questions from the crowd.

"We're here to listen," Yankowski said. "We try to be perfect. Sometimes we don't get it right, and we're going to fess up when we mess up."

Rita Jacobs, a retired attorney, called on police to end the practice of "self-investigations."

Yankowski said Lansing's Police Commission will provide an external perspective to supplement the department's internal affairs investigation.

Volunteer board members will review the internal affairs report, and they have the option to make their own differing recommendation to the police chief and to Lansing Mayor Andy Schor, Yankowski said. Lansing's mayor appoints members to the oversight board.

Commissioner Julee Rodocker, who is a City Council candidate, declined to answer questions following Tuesday's meeting, referring questions to board chair Drew Macon.

Macon likewise declined to comment.

Read more on Lansing arrest video:

Police report: Handcuffed teen's resistance led to LPD officer's 'straight arm punches'

Lansing police chief: 'That is not the conduct...we want from our Lansing police officers'

Police investigating incident of Lansing officer punching handcuffed girl inside patrol car

Contact Sarah Lehr at (517) 377-1056 or slehr@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahGLehr. 

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