Michigan officer on paid leave after video shows arrest of black Amazon driver for parking violation
WARREN, Mich. -- A Michigan officer was placed on paid leave after video surfaced of an Amazon driver being held down over an apparent parking violation Tuesday.
The Facebook live video, broadcasted by Amondeuz Graham, shows the white officer pinning the black delivery driver facedown on the ground in Warren, a suburb of Detriot.
Jim Michaels, who ordered the package on Amazon, said the driver had parked facing the wrong direction, and when police asked to see his license, the driver did not immediately show it to them, WXYZ-TV reported.
"He was aggressive taking him down to the ground. It was so ridiculous over a traffic offense," Michaels said.
Police said the driver was arrested and released without charges.
An officer involved remains on paid leave pending an investigation.
This incident comes as police departments across the country face growing criticism for use of force against people of color. Nationwide protests were sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody after a white officer pressed his knee to Floyd's neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds.
