Aug. 12 2023, Published 1:45 p.m. ET
A young Black child was mistaken for a car theft suspect, handcuffed, and taken into police custody this week, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The incident took place on Thursday when Tashawn Bernard, 12, was taking out the trash outside his Lansing, Michigan home.
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The shocking incident was captured on video by a nearby witness and the footage of the incident showed at least four white officers as they descended on the scene.
The boy’s father, Michael Bernard, could also be seen berating the officers for traumatizing his 12-year-old son.
“You always use that excuse man,” Tashawn’s father told the responding officers. “It doesn’t matter – once you’re Black you match any description, bottom line.”
“All these cops for a teenage kid,” one bystander could be overheard saying in the video. “Some wrong s—.”
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According to officials, Tashawn matched the description of a suspect wearing neon green shorts and a white shirt.
However, the family’s attorney disputed this claim and revealed that Tashawn was actually wearing a grey shirt.
The video of the arrest quickly went viral and garnered over 3.5 million views in under a day after it was posted on the popular social media platform TikTok.
The footage started with Tashawn already placed in handcuffs just moments after he had dumped his trash in a large blue dumpster.
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The responding officers attempted to justify Tashawn’s arrest to his enraged father. Backup officers arrived at the scene shortly thereafter accompanied by at least three additional police SUVs.
The Bernard family has since expressed outrage over the incident and they are reportedly considering legal action.
Their lawyers, Ayanna and Rico Neal, stated that they are exploring all legal options – including the possibility of filing a lawsuit. They also claimed that they have not received any additional information from the police besides what they have seen on social media.
The Lansing Police Department faced a wave of backlash following the incident.
Many users who viewed the video criticized the department’s public statements, which were intended to explain the circumstances of the arrest.
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A Facebook post was particularly controversial, as it included two images comparing Tashawn side by side with the actual suspect. Online commenters pointed out that the suspect appeared to be much larger than the 12-year-old boy.
Meanwhile, Lansing Police Chief Ellery Sosebee attempted to justify Tashawn’s controversial arrest in a statement released on Friday.
“Yesterday officers detained a young man who was wearing similar clothing and in the same apartment complex as an accused car thief who fled from officers on foot,” Chief Sosebee explained.
“When the officer made initial contact, it was near a trash bin but was after he had disposed of any garbage,” the statement continued. “The young man was then released to his father when eliminated as the accused.”
“The command officer on the scene made contact with the young man’s father and explained the situation and apologized for the misunderstanding,” the police chief explained further. “I have reviewed the incident and can confirm the officer who contacted and detained the young man was respectful and professional during his investigation.”
“It’s unfortunate that incidents like this occur but through communication and sharing of information, we can help people understand the whole story.”