Video of South Bend police officer detaining teenage girl draws attention from thousands

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – A video online of a South Bend police officer detaining a teenage girl is drawing attention from thousands and responses from the South Bend Chief of Police, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #36, the city council and a local branch of Black Lives Matter.

According to our partners at the South Bend Tribune, this happened on Friday near the McDonald’s on N. Michigan Street just south of Memorial Hospital.

The video shows only a snippet of the interaction. It shows a police officer holding the 14-year-old girl facedown and head out over the curb as she’s screaming. You can hear her tell the officer she didn’t do anything and isn’t trying to run. She then asks for the officer to call her mother.

The officer says he will take her to her mother while commanding her to put her hands behind her back.

A third person who is not wearing a police uniform is then seen joining the officer in holding the girl down before the video ends.

South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski released a statement on the video, saying in part the police department is gathering facts and “will release additional details, including the officer’s body camera footage, as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #36 — which represents some of the South Bend Police Department’s officers — also issued a response, saying in part that the juvenile was taken to the ground for refusing to comply with the officer. The FOP Lodge also claims the officer did not punch, kick or strike the juvenile.

The full bodycam video has not been released yet to verify these claims, but according to the group the juvenile was taken home and released to a guardian.

“This video is gaslighting at its finest. Only 10 seconds of a several minute incident is shown. Nothing leading up to the incident or any video from inside the business. Just jumping straight to conclusions without any other tangible facts. Here are a few facts for you….McDonalds calls the police because they have a juvenile inside their business making threats, causing a problem and refusing to leave. Said juvenile stayed inside the business long enough for police to arrive at which time juvenile is seen leaving business and is stopped by police. Juvenile refuses to comply with officer at which time officer takes juvenile to the ground. The officer DOES NOT punch, kick or strike the juvenile. The juvenile at best is held down for control purposes to prevent injury. The juvenile is then placed into the back of a police vehicle WITHOUT handcuffs. Juvenile is then taken home and released to a guardian. It is unfortunate the same community members being loudest right now don’t put forth this much effort when juveniles are subjected to actual gun violence in our community.”

The South Bend Common Council issued a statement on the video, saying in part it is closely monitoring the situation as the investigation moves forward.

Black Lives Matter South Bend is also responding to the video, saying it is “gravely concerned” and “such incidents highlight the troubling relationship between law enforcement and Black youth in our country.”

Black Lives Matter also claims the girl had requested a refund at McDonald’s and did not commit a crime.

Additionally, the group is calling for a repeal of a new ordinance just passed last week that increase fees for obtaining police body camera and dashboard camera footage from the city.

Black Lives Matter South Bend is gravely concerned about a recent incident involving an allegedly 14-year-old Black girl who was detained and forcibly held to the ground by a South Bend police officer outside the McDonald’s on N. Michigan St. The girl was allegedly requesting a refund at the restaurant when, according to a widely-circulated Facebook video, he was approached and detained in an aggressive manner. The original poster asserts that the child committed no crime.

Such incidents highlight the troubling relationship between law enforcement and Black youth in our country, and call into question the accountability mechanisms meant to protect our most vulnerable residents. This concern is compounded by the South Bend Common Council’s recently-passed ordinance restricting public access to police body camera footage, requiring exorbitant fees of up to $75 per request for each video.

Black Lives Matter South Bend categorically rejects the notion that the pursuit of transparency should be priced out of reach for everyday citizens. That the ordinance passed with the support of four Black council members only further underscores the urgent need for better representation.

“We are living in a time when the Black community continues to face aggressive policing in an environment increasingly shaped by racist and white nationalist attitudes,” said a BLM South Bend Cofounder Jorden Giger. “Weaponizing law enforcement against Black youth must end, and transparency must not be restricted by financial barriers. The public deserves to see the full truth of what occurred.”

Given the level of concern expressed by local residents on social media, Black Lives Matter South Bend calls on the South Bend Police Department and city officials to:

• Immediately release the officer’s body camera footage to the public;

• Conduct a full, independent investigation into the circumstances of the girl’s detention; and

• Repeal the newly-enacted ordinance restricting access to police video evidence, and commit to reform toward transparency and accountability.

South Bend Mayor James Mueller addressed the video during a “non-formal” news conference on Monday afternoon where he emphasized that the incident is currently under a multi-layered review process and more information will be released soon.

Mayor Mueller also said he believes the officer in the video is still on active duty.

You can watch his full news conference in the video below:

South Bend Mayor James Mueller took questions from the media about a violent weekend in the city as well as a viral video showing an officer detaining a teen.

Stay up to date on local news with WNDU on-air and online. Be sure to download the 16 News Now App and follow our YouTube page as we continue to bring you the latest coverage on this developing story.

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Video of South Bend police officer detaining teenage girl draws attention from thousands

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