Two videos have been released showing a Detroit police lieutenant attacking an allegedly mentally ill woman while she was already handcuffed because she spat on her. An investigation by the department seeks to determine if the supervising officer failed to properly submit a use of force report and/or acted properly when engaged with a detained suspect with limited mental capacity.
On Sunday, May 29, Lt. Velma Hampton was caught on another officer’s body camera using profanity and lunging at a naked woman lying outside the 9th Precinct. The woman, who was in the middle of a mental health crisis, was acting out in front of the station in the middle of the street. This led officers to handcuff the woman’s hands behind her back.
After being cuffed the woman continued her erratic behavior, the video shows.
During the episode, the woman spat at Hampton, who was the supervising officer on the scene, and when warned to stop the woman repeated the act. Hampton snapped and leaped at the lady. The video shows other officers trying to hold her back and separate her from the woman. But Hampton was relentless, screaming at the individual and at one time pulling her hair.
In response to her actions, the DPD has taken away all of her firearm responsibilities and restricted Hampton to administrative duties. The 25-year DPD veteran is now under investigation for her behavior in front of the 9th Precinct and receiving criticism from other members of the force, FOX 2 reports.
Sgt. Jordan Hall is the supervisor with the Detroit Police Crisis Intervention Team. Over his career, Hall has trained over 180 officers to de-escalate situations involving people with mental illness, and while he has not seen the video, he said, “It is not a representation of the men and women that put on this uniform.”
“Chief White has indicated that the officer’s actions are troubling and is not consistent with our policy or training,” the sergeant continued.
Chief James White commented on the incident by releasing a statement, “The actions of the lieutenant are troubling and in contravention of our policies. I’ve directed Force Investigations to conduct an investigation in an expeditiously and thorough manner.”
“This department is committed to providing professionalism and respect to our entire community, especially to those in mental crisis,” White stated. “Anything short of it, I will not accept.”
The Internal Affairs Department will be looking at whether Hampton, who used force, filed it as required by the DPD’s policies and procedures.
In addition to the chief and the IAD, one Board of Police Commissioner called for a criminal probe into Hampton’s actions, WXYZ reports.
Detroit Board of Police Commissioner Ricardo Moore said, “It’s an assault of a handcuffed person, and that’s police brutality. It’s shocking. You would expect that supervisor to have a little bit more patience than the average officer through experience.”
“We take these issues very seriously. This will be taken care of appropriately and I’m sure – I can’t speak for the chief — but I’m sure that a warrant request will go to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office in this matter,” he continued.
Ironically, the 9th Precinct is the location for a program on mental health and wellness called Crisis Intervention Team. Hampton’s actions have prompted Commissioner Moore to consider taking a deeper dive into the program and how it has helped or hindered the community.
According to its website, “The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program is a community partnership of law enforcement, mental health and addiction professionals, individuals who live with mental illness and/or addiction disorders, their families, and other advocates.”
Officer Marcus Harris II and Hall are the DPD assigned representatives. The program also has members from the Canton Police Department on its team.
CIT is also a “first-responder model of police-based crisis intervention training to help persons with mental disorders and/or addictions access medical treatment rather than place them in the criminal justice system due to illness-related behaviors,” and is designed to” promote officer safety and the safety of the individual in crisis.”
“I would want the chief to go back and give an administrative audit and find out exactly what is taking place in this particular unit at the 9th Precinct,” Moore said.
“Because the police in the community do have a good relationship here, and we want to maintain that.”
Hampton, an African-American officer, will be a topic at the Board of Commissioners meeting on Thursday, June 16.
