The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office has launched an internal investigation into the use of force that left a Detroit father injured and facing criminal charges after a viral arrest video sparked widespread scrutiny.
A spokesman for the sheriff's office confirmed the office is conducting an internal review into the use of force during the arrest of Derrick Tinsley, 35. The spokesman would not say whether the deputies seen in the video remain on active duty.
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Tinsley is now out of the Washtenaw County Jail and considering legal action against the sheriff's office.
Video shows Tinsley standing with his hands raised before deputies shoved him headfirst onto a concrete curb. The incident occurred after Tinsley drove into a secured perimeter during a barricaded gunman incident in Ypsilanti Township.
The sheriff's office maintains Tinsley refused to stop when ordered, endangering public safety, before deputies used tire spikes to halt his vehicle. The office says it is reviewing the video along with all available information from the scene and Tinsley's arrest.
While the sheriff's office initially said Tinsley appeared to be intoxicated, he was not charged with driving drunk.
Former Detroit Police Assistant Chief Steve Dolunt reviewed the footage and weighed in on the deputies' actions.
"Oh God, it looks bad. I mean, look, everyone has cameras, and we always talk about de-escalation, escalation, de-escalation," Dolunt said.
Dolunt said he understood the tension of the situation but drew a clear line at the moment Tinsley complied.
"We're our own worst enemy, law enforcement, and we're human with emotions. You see a guy coming through a barricade, he's lucky he didn't get shot, to be honest with you, because I'd had my gun out if you're blowing through, especially on a barricaded gunman, but once he complied you gotta cuff him. You can't push them. And then look at the resulting injury, possibly closed head. It looks bad for law enforcement. It looks bad totally and hopefully this guy's OK," Dolunt said.
Tinsley's children were in the backseat of the vehicle when deputies moved in, according to his mother, Cheryl Stewart.
"They just said the police came, Dad had his hands up and then he was on the ground," Stewart said.
Stewart said the incident has left a lasting impact on the children.
"You don't want your kids to grow up scared of the police. You want them to go to them for help. And you know, with the images like that and the things we hear all the time, you know, you grow up not ever wanting to call the police," Stewart said.
Tinsley was arraigned Sunday on charges of assaulting, resisting, and obstructing police, along with two counts of child abuse. His next hearing on those criminal charges is set for September 10.
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