(WXYZ) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit against the Warren Police Department, claiming officers violated the rights of a Detroit resident with mental illness during a 2022 arrest.
Watch Tiarra Braddock's video report:
Christopher Gibson, 26, was arrested in Warren on Dec. 13, 2022, after a gas station employee called police concerned about his behavior.
"I actually feel lucky to be alive after what they did to me," Christopher said.
The lawsuit alleges Warren police officers used excessive force and failed to provide proper mental health resources after arresting Christopher.
Body camera footage obtained by the ACLU through the Freedom of Information Act shows officers using a Taser on Christopher during the encounter.
"My son Christopher, who is now 26, was diagnosed with mental illness when he was 19. He suffers from schizophrenia and psychosis," said Alwanda Gibson, Christopher's mother.
See video of the incident below. Note: This video was edited and distributed by the ACLU
Mark Fancher, an attorney for the ACLU of Michigan, says the situation escalated quickly.
"They attempted to get him under control and in the process, they triggered other reactions from him, which led to him biting one of the officers during the tussle. At this point, as far as they were concerned, he was someone who committed an assault against an officer," Fancher said.
Alwanda believes her son's mental health crisis was triggered by spending time with a dying relative.
"The night before the incident with Warren Police Department, Christopher had spent the night with my cousin who was dying of cancer and I believe that's what triggered his mental health crisis. They were very close," she said.
The lawsuit names the city of Warren and about a dozen police officers.
"They need mental health experts to respond to these types of situations," Alwanda Gibson said.
Christopher Gibson is seeking an undisclosed amount in compensation and a declaration that the actions of Warren police officers were illegal.
A spokesperson for the Warren Police Department said Wednesday they have no comment at this time because the lawsuit is pending.
On Thursday, police released a statement, saying that while the department normally refrains from commenting on pending litigation, the dramatized presentation by the ACLU of the arrest and detention of Christopher Gibson necessitates a limited response."
The full statement reads:
"Officers encountered Gibson after a 911 call reporting his suspicious behavior. Once identified, Gibson was arrested on four open felony warrants for identity theft, larceny, and other financial crimes. The arrest was without incident as the video clearly shows. Once at the Warren Jail, however, Gibson’s demeanor went from suspicious to aggressive. Gibson went so far as to bite a jail officer who was removing his handcuffs inside a holding cell. This bite drew blood and the officer needed medical attention. After this attack, Gibson refused to comply with even simple commands that were necessary to get him transported to a facility equipped with medical and mental health professionals. Warren Police used multiple less-than-lethal options to ensure safety while successfully getting Gibson handcuffed and transported to a county facility. We dispute the claim that Mr. Gibson was seriously injured by the Warren Police Department or inside the Warren Police Department jail. In fact, the lawsuit claims Gibson sustained injury when removed from a transport car in the garage of the county facility. This removal was not by Warren Police, but another Department’s designated Cell Extraction Team who had been informed by us of Gibson’s self-reported mental health issues and assaultive behavior.
Gibson was charged and convicted in July 2025 of felonious assault of the Warren Police in connection with the video presented by the ACLU. He also pled guilty to felony weapons charges in Wayne County in 2024. In neither court proceeding did Gibson even assert a mental health defense or incompetency. It is unsettling that none of this is disclosed in the ACLU’s presentation where Gibson is portrayed as someone unable to follow basic police commands.
Gibson now seeks monetary damages for an issue that the ACLU readily admits is not unique to the Warren Police Department. The lawsuit actually asks the courts to mandate a new national policing standard where social workers or mental health professionals respond, instead of police, to anyone self-reporting a mental health crisis. But the reality is that trained police are the only available first responder in these rapidly-changing, extremely dangerous situations. It is also the reality that mental health resources are limited in Michigan and nationally, as anyone with a loved one suffering with mental illness knows, which limitations equally apply to police agencies. Still, the Warren Police Department trains extensively on best practices in handling mentally distressed persons and will continue doing so.
We believe the complete video record and other evidence will demonstrate here that Gibson engaged in a series of very intentional, violent assaults and other resistive actions against police while in custody. State and federal courts consistently hold that police can and must police in such a situation to protect life and limb, including by use of reasonable force when necessary. On these bases, we are confident the ACLU lawsuit will be quickly dismissed."
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