Black Detroit cop manhandled, cuffed by fellow white officer over what was in his hand

An cop at a Detroit plainclothes training facility says he was profiled by a white police officer for having a wad of cash in his hand

Detroit
City of Detroit Police vehicles are parked in front of their precinct April 17, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

A Black Detroit police officer is outraged that he was accosted by one of his fellow officers, a white man, who he says handcuffed and manhandled him because he had a wad of cash.

Officer Chris Williams is troubled that a young officer confronted him and faced off and allegedly used excessive force against the 15-year veteran. Now the Detroit police have launched an investigation into the claims, local station WJBK-TV reports.

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“I said what the f are you doing,” Williams said. “I was confused. He’s like, ‘You’re not supposed to have this much money on you.'”

Williams said the white policeman confronted him on June 6 at the Detroit Police Department Training Center where he was receiving training along with 100 other plainclothes cops.

Williams said he was in the bathroom and was putting the cash in his pocket when the cop encountered him just before he was heading out to leave.

“He was yelling,” Williams said. “I look back and he’s running, and I’m like we must have forgotten to sign out. I am walking back and he grabbed my wrist, with his hand around me.

“He yelled, ‘Come on’ and I said what are you doing. I didn’t know what was going on until he put me in cuffs.”


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Williams said other cops stood by and watched.

“Everybody saw it, so that is embarrassing and humiliating,” Williams said and explained that his girlfriend who was at the center training as well, withdrew the money during lunch break and had him hold it.

Williams’ has enlisted attorney, Todd Perkins, to take up the issue with the Detroit P.D.

“This is how he was treated by an individual who has only 20 percent of [the] time on the job this man has,” Perkins said. “He throws him up against the fence, without probably cause, and places him in handcuffs. How dare he.

“In 2019 that should make you afraid. This is an individual who is policing the streets of a predominately African-American city, he should not be on the streets.”

Assistant Police Chief James White the department is looking into what occurred.

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“To say that there is a racial component, I’ve got someone in the bathroom with a very large sum of money – and inquiries to where he got the money,” White said. “It’s not unreasonable to me.

“One of the things I would be trying to find out is, at what point did the officer identify himself as a police officer. Because it is required by our policy. The second thing we would look at is, the large sum of money. Where did it come from, why did he have it?”

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