A teen went with a group of activists to Warren City Hall on Tuesday, saying she is the victim of police brutality.
Nineteen-year-old Gabrielle Stokes lives in an apartment right across from Macomb Community College where she attends on a basketball scholarship. She says as she had a going-away-party for a friend in November, police showed up.
Warren Police were investigating shots fired in the parking lot. Police say they believe she knew the person who fired shots. Stokes says she didn’t. Police moved to arrest her as she stood in the doorway of her apartment.
“He snatched me by this arm, the one that is in a sling...” said Gabrielle. “ He banged my head against the wall, trying to apprehend me. I wasn’t resisting.”
Gabrielle says police then walked her past their vehicle and then in the dark forced her to walk around several apartment buildings. They stopped in an area away from all people next to a dumpster and a couch.
“I am thinking, are they going to rape me? Are they going to do something to me? I don’t know,” said Gabrielle.
She said they called her names as they paraded here around the apartment complex, eventually putting her in the police vehicle they walked past initially.
Gabrielle says her medical records show the officers were so rough during all of this they injured her rotator cuff and strained her wrists. She has been unable to play basketball at college.
Warren Police Commissioner Jerry Green said after hearing about the allegations from third parties he questioned his officers and reviewed all evidence police have. He found no evidence of wrong-doing. He says the teen never filed an official complaint. He is asking her to do so, so he can fully investigate all claims.
“I have hired a lawyer to handle that,” said Stokes.
Stokes was arrested and charged with minor in possession of alcohol and disorderly conduct in connection to the night. Her blood alcohol content was found to be just under 0.08 according to police.
“They are trying to use those charges to distract from what they did,” said Stokes. “A lot needs to change in this world. I never thought this would happen to me."
