GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Grand Rapids police have released bodycam video of a handcuffing incident involving unarmed 11-year-old twin boys, which was sparked by a report of young teens with a gun.
At 8:07 p.m. Sunday, a caller told the Grand Rapids Police Department that a pair of black boys who were about 13 years old were in the neighborhood of Griggs Street SE and Alto Avenue in Burton Heights and one of them was carrying a gun. Police say the caller described the clothing the teens wore, as officers made their way to the area less than five minutes later.
The twins and a 17-year-old family friend were on their way to the store when police approached them.
Bodycam video shows the officers with their guns drawn, calmly directing the kids one-by-one back to their patrol cars. Once they're handcuffed, an officer explains what is happening.
"You know what's going on, is someone called and said a black male subject about 13 wearing red, walking with a black male with a black shirt had a gun in his hand, OK? So we're just taking you, get you patted down, alright? Just make sure you don't have any guns. You don't have any guns, you don't have any guns on you, do you?" the officer asks.
The boy's response is difficult to hear.
"No? OK, alright," the officer answers. "We're going to quick do that, OK? And we're going to get you right on out of those, it's just for our safety, alright?"
Officers said the boys fit the general description of the suspects; the twins’ mother said her sons were profiled.