Michigan police officers caught on camera handcuffing a crying 11-year-old girl have been cleared following an internal investigation.
On Wednesday, the Grand Rapids Police Department released a statement claiming that an internal investigation into the Dec. 6 incident had concluded and determined that the officers didn’t violate department policy.
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“No discipline will be issued,” Police Chief David Rahinsky said. “This, however, in no way diminishes our commitment to identifying what can be done to prevent similar incidents in the future. Concrete steps are being taken to ensure equitable outcomes in our interactions with the community.”
Bodycam footage of the incident showed police handcuffing a crying and screaming 11-year-old girl, named Honestie Hodges. Officers could be heard telling her “You’re fine, you’re fine, you’re alright. You’re not going to jail or anything.” The officers were allegedly at Hodges’ house looking for her aunt, who was wanted on an attempted murder charge.
As a result of the incident, the Grand Rapids Police Department announced that they will be taking steps towards better handling situations involving children, including receiving new training. The department has also adopted the Honestie Policy, which will detail how officers should interact with children.
