DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Detroit family is demanding answers and an investigation into a Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office use of force after a video showing deputies shoving an unarmed man to the ground went viral.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report:
Derrick Tinsley, 35, spent the weekend in the Washtenaw County Jail after being arrested Friday. He was arraigned Sunday on charges of resisting police and child abuse and has since been released. His mother, Cheryl Stewart, says he may suffer long-term injuries and that her grandchildren were traumatized by the incident.
The confrontation unfolded Friday night as deputies were responding to an active barricaded gunman situation in Ypsilanti Township. The sheriff's office says Tinsley, who was not involved in the standoff, drove through a police-secured perimeter and failed to stop when ordered. Deputies deployed tire-deflation devices to halt his vehicle.
Once Tinsley was out of the car, video shows him standing with his hands raised in a clear attempt to comply. Deputies then approached and shoved him, and his head struck the concrete curb.
Stewart said her son was later found to have a concussion and elevated blood pressure.
"They said he had a concussion. His blood pressure has become very high, which he never had high blood pressure before. That can be a sign, you know, part of a concussion or a sign of other brain injury. So when he gets home, we are gonna take him for some follow-up medical care," Stewart said.
Stewart, who said she worked in the medical field, described pushing back when jail staff told her Tinsley had not been injured.
"I went to the jail, I showed the deputy, I said, look at this. I said, are you telling me he's not hurt? 'Well, he's been checked out medically.' I said, but you keep saying no injuries, and look at this video," Stewart said.
In addition to child abuse, Tinsley is charged with assaulting, resisting, and obstructing a police officer. Stewart questioned the charges, saying Tinsley's children were in the car at the time, but pushed back on the child abuse allegation.
"I don't know what to think or comment on that right now. I mean, his kids were in a car, but I don't think it's child abuse," Stewart said.
Stewart said she spoke with a detective the day after the incident and was told deputies may have believed Tinsley was the suspect they were searching for. She said that explanation did not satisfy her concerns about the level of force used.
"My question is, even if he was that suspect, once the person surrendered and put their hands up, why would you have to use excessive force?" Stewart said.
Sheriff Alyshia Dyer released a statement over the weekend that read in part:
While deputies are responding to an armed or barricaded person, caution tape and police vehicles are positioned to protect the public and emergency personnel from potential dangers. We urge the public to never enter or drive through a secure police perimeter during an active police incident.
I reached out to the sheriff's office repeatedly Monday to ask whether the deputies involved remain on active duty and whether an internal use-of-force investigation has been launched. The sheriff's office had not responded as of the time of this report.
Tinsley received a $20,000 personal bond during his Sunday arraignment. His next court date is scheduled for next Thursday.
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