Community reacts to officer assaulting 19-year-old in Macomb County; official placed on unpaid leave
MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – A community was on edge Tuesday night after a Warren officer was caught on video assaulting a 19-year-old.
Security video caught the assault which occurred on Tuesday (June 13) at 6:08 a.m. inside the Warren Police Department Jail.
The video showed Officer Matthew James Rodriguez, 48, of Southgate hitting the 19-year-old suspect, taking him to the ground.
A result of the punch has placed the officers on unpaid leave.
Warren police Officer Matthew Rodriguez is accused of attacking a jail inmate on June 13, 2023. (WDIV)
“We was looking at it,” said Warren resident Kim Cawthon. “We was just talking about it. So, it’s definitely going around. He didn’t raise his fist at him or anything. He probably did say some words that provoked him. But, there still shouldn’t have been a reason for him to hit him physically and drag him by his hair the way he did.”
Community activist and founder of Thousands Strong, Oliver Gant, is no stranger to police brutality. He says there is no excuse for the officer’s actions.
“I was angry,” said Gant. “It was a shock. Again, looking at something that always plays out, and it seems to play out with police officers assaulting a young Black man.”
Gant says it’s part of the reason why community relations between African Americans and officers won’t heal anytime soon.
“What that officer did was basically reinforced the disdain that young Black men have for people in authority,” Gant said.
That’s something that Local 4 heard firsthand from Warren resident JT.
“Honestly, truth be told, I wasn’t really shocked because it’s something that you would see, and it’s expected because that’s how they act,” said JT. “People react differently, especially from a Black male. He ain’t got no type of rights. As they would say, our rights don’t matter to them.”
Yes, the officer has been placed on unpaid leave, but citizens like Gant say that Rodriguez should be fired by now with the video that’s already out.
“Any officer that wears a body camera on duty that those kinds of cameras should be on and activated at all times,” Gant said. “He shouldn’t have put his hands on a young man.”
More: ‘He’ll pay that price’: Warren officer charged for punching jail inmate, slamming head on ground
Source: WDIV ClickOnDetroit
