‘BOGUS AND RIDICULOUS’
Protesters call for charges against Shelby 5 to be dropped
While the Shelby 5 were in a Shelby Township district court on Monday afternoon, their supporters held a rally about 14 miles away calling for the criminal charges to be dropped.
About two dozen supporters of the militant group known as Detroit Will Breathe gathered on the front steps of Macomb County Circuit Courthouse in Mount Clemens as they demanded county Prosecutor Peter Lucido dismiss the offenses.
Calling the charges “bogus and ridiculous,” organizer Alan Dennard said the group stands in solidarity with those fighting against racial injustice.
“We demand the felonies and misdemeanors — and even the traffic tickets — be dropped immediately,” he said. “We are demanding Police Chief (Robert) Shelide to be fired immediately. We also demand Peter Lucido to drop these charges. He needs to be recalled himself ... he has only hate in his heart.”
The defendants, known as the Shelby 5, are each charged with two felonies for their role in the protest march that turned into a skirmish and spilled into traffic on 23 Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue on Oct. 24, 2020.
The five defendants were among about 100 people protesting what they said was a culture of racism and police brutality supported by Shelide and Councilman John Vermeulen.
Shelide was suspended in June over comments he made on social media about public demonstrations and police actions following the death of George Floyd. He has since apologized for his comments. Vermeulen came under fire that same month for allegedly endorsing racial comments in social media.
On the day of the arrest, officers met with protest organizers in advance and advised them to stay on the sidewalk and avoid entering the roadway. According to police, the group at one point entered 23 Mile Road and blocked traffic. After numerous warnings, police arrested several individuals.
“We demand the felonies and misdemeanors — and even the traffic tickets — be dropped immediately.” — Alan Dennard, Shelby 5 supporter
Brian Silverstein, another protest organizer, said Shelide’s “Bull Connerlike attitude,” referring to the Civil Rights Movement opponent in the 1960s, and the “systematic racism” of Shelby Township police were factors in the police assaulting the marchers. He said the criminal charges are politically motivated.
“They were simply marching in the street, which is a time-honored tradition, a protected right. However, Prosecutor Lucido has a political career ahead of him,” Silverstein said.
The protesters gathered last year right down the street from what demonstrator Justin Mann of Shelby Township said were far-right protesters mingling with police, armed with guns and attack dogs. He said the intent was “to intimidate us.”
“You can see the difference in how we were treated,” Mann said. “The police were trying to silence and intimidate us because they don’t want us in their community. That’s the main problem, because this is our community.”
Lucido, who won the office in the November elections, said he’s open to dismissing the charges if new evidence is discovered or other mitigating factors. But he said “when crimes are committed in Macomb County, we don’t willy-nilly start dropping charges.”
The Shelby 5 are charged with disturbing the peace and assaulting, resisting and/or obstructing a police officer. They were released on bond shortly after being arrested.
The protesters are identified as James Deininger, 33, of Sterling Heights; David Mitchell, 39, of Detroit; Jessica Nadeau, 26 of Minnesota; Samantha Phillips, 31, of White Lake; and Tristan Taylor, 37 of Detroit. Taylor, co-founder of the Detroit Will Breathe movement, is also charged with refusing to provide DNA samples, according to court records.
Their next hearing was scheduled for Monday in 41A District Court, but the cases were adjourned. No new court date was immediately available.