The officer who used a taser on a man while he was holding an infant will receive a 30-day suspension without pay, according to a release from the Westland police chief.
An internal investigation has been ongoing since the Aug. 17 incident.
"I have determined that the arrest of (Raymurez) Brown was appropriate and was in line with the laws and ordinances of the City of Westland," stated Westland Chief of Police Jeff Jedrusik in a media release sent on Wednesday, Aug. 22.
"I have also determined that due to Brown's non-compliance, the use of a department-issued taser on him would have also been appropriate. However, I feel that the use of the taser at that time, while he was holding the child, was a questionable decision. We are all thankful that the child was not injured," the statement went on to read.
As a result, the officer will be receiving a 30-day suspension without pay.
Jedrusik went on to note that this particular incident will provide officers an opportunity to review all use of force policies and the department's training of those policies. He added that "maintaining the trust of our community is our top priority."
A viral video of the interaction spread on Facebook following the incident, further continuing the debate and criticism on the use of force by police officers – a topic that has impacted cities across the nation.
Members of the National Action Network call what happened police brutality. A demonstration calling for the officer to be fired will be held Friday at noon in front of the Westland Police Department.
