NILES, Mich. – A video that captures the actions of some Niles City Police officers has received more than 15,000 hits on Facebook.
The number of views is now greater than the number of people living in Niles (11,257 according to the 2016 census).
“It’s just unfortunate that a lot of people don’t understand how police officers do their job, and when they look at a video like this, certainly it looks aggressive to somebody that doesn’t understand,” said Niles Police Chief James Millin.
The video begins more toward the middle of an encounter between a suspect who is laying on the ground-surrounded by four officers.
“They really hurt him, for no reason. He was really, really hurt and (one) officer just dropped his knee right on his head. He’s screaming. He’s screaming for them to stop,” said Nichole Frederick who shot the video on her cellphone.
That’s when Nichole decided to start taking video. More than 15,000 views later: “In this situation I’m sure a lot of people made comments about the officer kneeling on the individual,” aid Chief Millins. “When that person can’t move their arms or their legs they then try to move their head, and they try to get in a position where they can bite people.”
The chief saw officers who were going by the book—as opposed to going rogue. He feels the same about the way officers acted when they suddenly turned their full attention to the woman pointing the camera (phone) —from the inside of a car the suspect had been driving.
“Obviously you know this isn’t your normal traffic stop where everybody’s complaint, so when you have something like this, your awareness is heightened. You want to get those people out of the car,” said Chief Millin.
Nichole Frederick insists the officers used excessive force in dealing with her. “’Just looked over and saw me recording and they ripped me out of that car like I had done, I murdered somebody like I was doing like I was a threat to them.”
Frederick says she is a 120 pound female and added, “I’m not doing anything to show you like I am like any threat and for you to smash my face into a trunk?”
Frederick says that she was in a car being driven by 23 year old Gary Leising, Junior when the two pulled into a private driveway in Niles to visit friends.
She says the police showed up about five seconds later, and asked for Leising’s I.D. That’s when Leising apparently refused and demanded to know what he had done wrong. “And I understand that if he would have just given it the I.D.) to him, things would have gone maybe a little bit easier but that still doesn’t change the fact that the force that he (the officer) used not only on Gary but on me, was ridiculous.
Chief Millin responded by saying: “You’ve probably been stopped before in your life by the police. Did it go like that? You know, usually it doesn’t because people are cooperative.”
Leising faces several felony counts including receiving or concealing stolen property in the form of a motor vehicle. He also faces one count of possession of methamphetamine.
Leising’s friend insists that he borrowed the car he was driving and was unaware of its contents.
Chief Millins says that because the incident began as a traffic stop for fa seat belt violations, the officer had the right to demand Leising’s license without explaining what the suspect had done wrong.
Source: http://www.wndu.com/content/news/Viral-video-shows-Niles-PD-officers-making-arrest-474514743.html