A Kalamazoo Public Safety officer was recently suspended, accused of assaulting a teenage suspect.
Sergeant Jeff Vanderwiere was suspended for ten days for hitting a handcuffed teen, an incident that was caught on tape.
The teenager was approached by police around 1:45 on the morning of April 5th, in the 1300 block of Cobb Avenue. Sergeant Vanderwiere and another officer were investigating a report of shots fired. They approached a group of three people, when the 16 year old became belligerent, yelling profanities at police.
There was a scuffle, and Sergeant Vanderwiere took the already handcuffed teen to the ground. An internal report says that Vanderwiere put his knee on the teens chest to keep him on the ground.
On the video which captured the event, it appears that the teen spits at the officer, to which Vanderwiere responds with three quick punches to the head of the teen.
Officers took the screaming 16 year old to the patrol call, and on the ride to the county jail, he continued kicking the car, yelling out profanities and threats.
An internal investigation found that Sergeant Vanderwiere was over the line when he punched the teen, that it was not reasonable force. It also says the Sergeant failed to photograph any injuries, and that he failed to have his microphone on.
A report submitted by Assistant Chief Lynn Wetmore says that Vanderwiere gave no verbal warning, didn't consider using other techniques to get the teen to stop spitting, and didn't request assistance from the other nearby officer.
The report also concludes that the strikes were delivered out of frustration that the teen wasn't compliant.
When interviewed about the incident, Vanderwiere told investigators that the teen had spit directly into his face, and that the spit went into his eyes.
The reports states that Vanderwiere says it was an assault on his person, and he didn't want to get spit on again, so he delivered the jabs.
The Kalamazoo Police Supervisors Association has reportedly filed a grievance on the suspension.
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