Grosse Pointe Park Officers to be Disciplined for Taking, Sharing Video of Mentally Challenged Man

Five Grosse Pointe Park Public Safety Department officers will be disciplined for taking a video, and sharing a video, of a mentally disabled man.

Grosse Pointe Park Chief of Police David Hiller stated that the officers, who are not being named, will face up to 60-day suspensions for taking and sharing the videos. Additionally, all members of the 36-member department will undergo additional training.

"The fact a mentally challenged individual,  no matter what color, creed or religion he or she may be, was videotaped for non-law enforcement reasons and personal vices by officers of this department is totally unacceptable to me, the department and the community," said Hiller, who apologized to the community and Michael Scipio, who was the subject of the video.

"They know Michael, and they made a serious mistake," Hiller said. "We are not going to accept that kind of action."

Hiller added that all of officers involved in the incident came from one shift, and they will all be reassigned to other shifts. The investigation identified the officer who took the video in March 2012, and those who shared the videos.

"All officers were forthcoming during our investigation and were extremely remorseful," said Hiller. "We believe our investigation was comprehensive and complete."

The investigation included officers in the department, and reaching out to the blogger who initially posted the videos. Hiller said he requested the videos, but was told they were no longer available and were allegedly corrupt. 

The city attorney attempted to contact the blogger's source, and the calls were not returned. Additionally the officer identified in one of the blog posts as the source of the videos was not the one responsible for taking the videos.

That blog post on the Motor City Muckraker has since been edited to remove the reference, and the headline was changed from "Grosse Pointe Cops Humiliate Black People" to the "Grosse Pointe police film, humiliate black man."

Hiller did say the officer who was named in the blog post will be disciplined because he did receive the videos and did not report the videos to his supervisors. 

The officers who were involved will be suspended without pay for periods ranging from 24 hours to 60 days, reprimanded, placed on one-year probation and reassigned to different shifts. The police officers union was involved in the investigation and at the disciplinary hearing. 

While some called for those involved to be fired, Hiller said that would have been the "easiest thing to do."
"That would not have addressed the real problem. The real problem is the culture that was on this shift," Hiller said. 

Additionally, the Northeast Guidance Center will provide training to members of the department on dealing with mentally challenged individuals.

The department also will increase cultural sensitivity and awareness training for people with disabilities and reinforcing the department's policies on social and electronic media. 

"We were very surprised, as was the chief, by this unfortunate incident," said Dale Krajniak. "Chief Hiller has done a thorough and no non-sense investigation of this matter with Capt. (David) Loch."

A diverse representation of residents and business owners spoke during the press conference to discuss why they live and work in Grosse Pointe Park, and their interaction with Scipio.

"I stand behind (the police department) completely. I know individuals can have individual issues but I don't see any systemic problems in Grosse Pointe Park," said Erica Baker, who attended the press conference with her husband George. 

The Rev. Timothy Pelc, pastor at St. Ambrose Catholic Church where the press conference was held, added that Scipio attends services and on a recent weekend parishioners noticed he had a broken arm. They took him to Beaumont where he was treated.

"That is another side to this story. That is a side of the story of the many people in this community, both Detroit and Grosse Pointe Park, who have made a friend of Mike and truly treat him as a neighbor," said Pelc. "Unless the rights of all of us are defended, then the rights of all of us are diminished."