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Monday 17 June 2019

Police are caught on camera repeatedly punching a handcuffed 16-year-old girl in the leg and slamming her foot in a car door as they arrest her on a runaway warrant

Police in Michigan have been filmed repeatedly punching a handcuffed 16-year-old girl in the leg and slamming her foot in a car door as they arrested her on a runaway warrant.
The incident occurred in Lansing on Friday morning when police were called following reports the girl and a 15-year-old boy had escaped from a nearby youth detention center. 
Both officers involved, Lindsey Howley and Bailey Ueberroth, were placed on paid administrative leave after cellphone footage of the arrest emerged. 
The Lansing Police Department has also since released the body cam footage from both officers. 



Police said the two teens were being housed at the youth center on probation violations and the officers had warrants to detain them after they fled a day earlier.
The girl and boy allegedly took off running when police arrived after a resident called 911 to report their whereabouts on Friday morning.
Bodycam footage showed officer Ueberroth chasing the girl through the street and handcuffing her before walking her back to his patrol car as she shouted at onlookers. 
At one point, one of the girl's hands slipped free from the handcuff and she was filmed struggling as the officer tried to cuff her again. 
Officer Howley then arrived and the bodycam video shows them both trying to handcuff the girl. 
They carried her to the patrol car by her arms and legs after the girl laid down on the road. 
After they put her in the backseat of the patrol car, the girl could be seen putting her leg out to prevent the officers from closing the door.  
Cellphone footage shot by a resident, as well as the bodycam video, captured Howley repeatedly punching the girl in the thigh as they yelled for her to put her leg inside the vehicle. 


The girl could be heard screaming at the officer to stop hitting her as she continued to hold the door open with her leg. 
'No b**ch, get your hands off me. You're not supposed to put your hands on me,' the girl said. 
At one point, the girl kicked Howley's body camera off and the officer had to reattach it. 
She yelled out in pain at one point as officer Howley repeatedly tried to slam the door shut while the teen's foot was jammed. 
'I ain't doing s**t,' the teen could be heard saying as nearby residents yelled at the officers saying they were going to break her leg. 
Officer Howley eventually slammed the door shut and the girl could be heard screaming as officer Ueberroth got into the front seat of the patrol car to drive away. 
When asked about punching the teen, Lansing Police Chief Mike Yankowski said during a press conference that it was standard protocol when a person is resisting arrest. 
The girl's mother, Tonia Lilly, believes the situation should have been handled different. 
'The issue is is not what my daughter did prior to the “so called standard procedure" used, whether she was resisting or not, or even the fact that she is a young, African American, 16-year-old female child being struck by a Caucasian officer,' she said on Facebook.
'The fact remains that she was punched! Not once, not twice, not three times! They dragged her, slammed her foot in the door, and repeatedly punched her! Cuffed and buckled in the seatbelt! Regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, or any other factors, NOBODY deserves that, ESPECIALLY A CHILD.'  
Police said the girl was taken back to the youth center and did not require medical treatment. 
The 15-year-old boy was also detained and returned to the youth center. 
Howley, who has been with the department for about a year, and Ueberroth, who has been there six months, were both placed on administrative leave on Saturday while the department carries out its investigation. 
A protest was held outside the police department on Saturday as people rallied against police brutality. About 100 protesters knelt for periods of time when the national anthem was played.  

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