National

Group: Officers Who Beat Black Suspect Should Be Charged

Published

11 years ago

January 17, 2015

Ron Scott speaks at rally in front of the Grosse Pointe Park city offices in Grosse Pointe Park, Mich. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. The protesters want the prosecution of two officers videotaped during the beating of a suspected carjacker in a Detroit neighborhood. (AP Photo/Detroit News, David Coates)

Corey Williams, ASSOCIATED PRESS

DETROIT (AP) — Protesters on Wednesday called for criminal charges to be brought against two police officers who appear to be white who were caught on video beating and kicking a black carjacking suspect during an arrest.

The video of Monday’s arrest, which was captured by a Detroit resident and posted on Facebook, shows the two officers taking turns kneeling forcefully on the back of the suspect, who was lying face-down on a snowy sidewalk, and beating and kicking him. They beat the 51-year-old suspect before and after he was handcuffed.

“It was despicable. It was horrible and it was barbaric, and it certainly was not professional,” Ron Scott, the director of The Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality, which organized the small protest, told The Associated Press. “This was especially deplorable given the circumstances we are facing in the nation at this point with Michael Brown being shot and police brutality.”

The killings of Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York City last summer touched off protests and a national debate over the treatment of black Americans by the police. Both Brown and Garner were black and unarmed, and the officers who killed them were white.

The officers involved in Monday’s arrest on Detroit’s northwest side, who appear in the video to be white, have not been publicly identified. They are members of an auto theft task force that includes police from Grosse Pointe Park, Harper Woods and Highland Park. They were tracking a vehicle carjacked earlier in the day, according to a Grosse Pointe Park police department news release.

“During the carjacking, the armed subject pointed a gun at a mother and her two children and ordered them out of the vehicle,” the department said. “He threatened to shoot them if they failed to comply.”

The officers followed the vehicle and chased the man a quarter-mile after he got out of the car in Detroit. According to police, the suspect resisted arrest and an attempt to subdue him with a stun gun failed because he was wearing heavy clothing.

“The subject continued to reach for the area of his waistband and refused all orders to show his hands,” the department said. “Fearing for their safety and those in the immediate area, an officer delivered a kick to the thigh area of the subject thus allowing the other officers the ability to arrest the subject. Located in his waistband was a loaded semi-automatic handgun.”

The news release doesn’t mention that the suspect was also beaten after he was handcuffed.

The task force presented a warrant Wednesday to the Wayne County prosecutor’s office asking it to press charges against the carjacking suspect.

The Associated Press isn’t naming him because he hadn’t been charged in the alleged carjacking as of late Wednesday afternoon. Chris Gautz, a spokesman for the state Department of Corrections, said the man could be charged with violating parole for a 2004 armed robbery conviction. The man was released from prison in 2013 and hasn’t been in contact with parole officials since last April.

The state police will investigate the officers’ actions. The Associated Press left messages Wednesday with the Grosse Pointe Park police department and an attorney for the city of Highland Park to determine whether the two officers in the video will remain on duty during the state police investigation.

The Coalition for Justice and Fairness to Reform Law Enforcement, which counts the Detroit branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan among its members, issued a statement denouncing the beating.

“Certainly, police officers have the right to apprehend, secure, and protect themselves and the public from suspects involved in criminal activities,” the group said. “However, it is most disturbing to see an individual handcuffed on the ground while a police officer sits on his back, who after being apprehended, is still punched in the head and kicked by an officer on the scene.”
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 11 = 17, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 11 – 17, 2026

Published

7 days ago

February 16, 2026

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Advice

Rising Optimism Among Small And Middle Market Business Leaders Suggests Growth for California

“Business leaders across the Pacific region continue to demonstrate a unique blend of resilience and forward-thinking, even in the face of ongoing economic uncertainty,” said Brennon Crist, Managing Director and Head of the Pacific Segment, Commercial Banking, J.P. Morgan. “Their commitment to innovation and growth is evident in the way they adapt to challenges and seize new opportunities. It’s this spirit that keeps our region at the forefront of business leadership and progress. We look forward to helping our clients navigate all that’s ahead in 2026.”

Published

1 week ago

February 14, 2026

Oakland Post

Super Scout / E+ with Getty Images.

Sponsored by JPMorganChase

Business optimism is returning for small and midsize business leaders at the start of 2026, fueling confidence and growth plans.

The 2026 Business Leaders Outlook survey, released in January by JPMorganChase reveals a turnaround from last June, when economic headwinds and uncertainty about shifting policies and tariffs caused some leaders to put their business plans on hold.

Midsize companies, who often find themselves more exposed to geopolitical shifts and policy changes, experienced a significant dip in business and economic confidence in June of 2025. As they have become more comfortable with the complexities of today’s environment, we are seeing optimism rebounding in the middle market nationwide – an encouraging sign for growth, hiring, and innovation. Small businesses, meanwhile, maintained steady optimism throughout 2025, but they aren’t shielded from domestic concerns. Many cited inflation and wage pressures as the top challenges for 2026 and are taking steps to ensure their businesses are prepared for what’s ahead.

Overall, both small and midsize business leaders are feeling more confident to pursue growth opportunities, embrace emerging technologies and, in some cases, forge new strategic partnerships. That bodes well for entrepreneurs in California. Here are a few other key findings from the Business Leaders Outlook about trends expected to drive activity this year:

Inflation remains the top concern for small business owners. Following the 2024 U.S. presidential election, many anticipated a favorable business environment. By June 2025, however, that feeling shifted amid concerns about political dynamics, tariffs, evolving regulations and global economic headwinds.
Going into 2026, 37% of respondents cited inflation as their top concern. Rising taxes came in second at 27% and the impact of tariffs was third at 22%. Other concerns included managing cash flow, hiring and labor costs.

For middle market leaders, uncertainty remains an issue. Almost half (49%) of all midsize business leaders surveyed cited “economic uncertainty” as their top concern – even with an improved outlook from a few months ago. Revenue and sales growth was second at 33%, while tariffs and labor both were third at 31%.
And tariffs are impacting businesses costs. Sixty-one percent of midsize business leaders said tariffs have had a negative impact on the cost of doing business.
Despite challenges, leaders are bullish on their own enterprises. Though the overall outlook is mixed, 74% of small business owners and 71% of middle market companies are optimistic about their company’s prospects for 2026.
Adaption is the theme. For small business owners surveyed across the U.S., responding to continuing pressures is important in 2026. Building cash reserves (47%), renegotiating supplier terms (36%) and ramping up investments in marketing and technology are among the top priorities.
Big plans are on the horizon. A majority midsized company leaders expect revenue growth this year, and nearly three out of five of (58%) plan to introduce new products or services in the coming year, while 53% look to expand into new domestic and/or international markets. Forty-nine percentsay they’re pursuing strategic partnerships or investments.

The bottom line

Rebounding optimism among U.S. business leaders at the start of the year is setting the stage for an active 2026. With business leaders looking to implement ambitious growth plans that position themselves for the future, momentum in California could be beneficial for leaders looking to launch, grow or scale their business this year.

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#NNPA BlackPress

COMMENTARY: The National Protest Must Be Accompanied with Our Votes

Just as Trump is gathering election data like having the FBI take all the election data in Georgia from the 2020 election, so must we organize in preparation for the coming primary season to have the right people on ballots in each Republican district, so that we can regain control of the House of Representatives and by doing so, restore the separation of powers and balance that our democracy is being deprived of.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper. File photo..

By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper

As thousands of Americans march every week in cities across this great nation, it must be remembered that the protest without the vote is of no concern to Donald Trump and his administration.

In every city, there is a personal connection to the U.S. Congress. In too many cases, the member of Congress representing the people of that city and the congressional district in which it sits, is a Republican. It is the Republicans who are giving silent support to the destructive actions of those persons like the U.S. Attorney General, the Director of Homeland Security, and the National Intelligence Director, who are carrying out the revenge campaign of the President rather than upholding the oath of office each of them took “to Defend The Constitution of the United States.”

In California, the primary comes in June 2026. The congressional races must be a priority just as much as the local election of people has been so important in keeping ICE from acquiring facilities to build more prisons around the country.

“We the People” are winning this battle, even though it might not look like it. Each of us must get involved now, right where we are.

In this Black History month, it is important to remember that all we have accomplished in this nation has been “in spite of” and not “because of.” Frederick Douglas said, “Power concedes nothing without a struggle.”

Today, the struggle is to maintain our very institutions and history. Our strength in this struggle rests in our “collectiveness.” Our newspapers and journalists are at the greatest risk. We must not personally add to the attack by ignoring those who have been our very foundation, our Black press.

Are you spending your dollars this Black History Month with those who salute and honor contributions by supporting those who tell our stories? Remember that silence is the same as consent and support for the opposition. Where do you stand and where will your dollars go?