Detroit police officer plans to sue city
Man alleges off-duty arrest was improper, racially motivated
A Detroit police officer plans to sue the city of Warren for $5 million for his off-duty arrest outside of his Warren home, alleging it was improper and racially motivated.
Donald Owens said Thursday at a news conference at the Detroit Association of Black Organizations (DABO) Sheffield Center in Detroit that he was falsely arrested last Nov. 11 after he refused to provide identification information to Warren officers. Police responded to a car-pedestrian injury car crash outside of his home.
Owens, a five-year veteran of the Detroit force, said he was not a witness because he did not see anything so he didn’t have to identify himself or provide his profession as asked by officers.
“I didn’t witness a crime at all,” Owens told The Macomb Daily. “Because I didn’t do what they wanted me to do, they arrested me.”
Officers insisted he tell them his name and profession, even though Owens said they already had his name from other people at his Timken Avenue home, a couple of whom also were off-duty Detroit cops.
“It went wrong at the point they tried to intimidate me by telling they’re going to arrest me for something that wasn’t even true,” he said at the news conference. “I was polite the entire time, professional, and they took me to the precinct where one of their co-workers verbally disrespected me, abused me.”
Detroit Police Officer Donald Owens, center, is flanked by the Rev. Horace Sheffield III, left, and his attorney, Michael Fortner, on Thursday outside the Association of Black Organizations Sheffield Center in Detroit.
He said he was detained for disorderly conduct by two male Warren officers, and a female office who was processing him for arrest called him “ignorant” and “stupid” and he was “going to lose my job.”
He said other racial comments were made, but his attorney, Michael Fortner, said those remarks will be revealed later.
The Rev. Horace Sheffield of DABO said black people are not treated well by Warren police. “You can live here, you can visit here but you ain’t free here.”
Owens said he also suffered minor injuries and was refused medical treatment. His handcuffs were too tight, causing injury to his wrist, and an officer slammed the door on his head, causing him a migraine headache, he said.
In defending its officers actions, Warren police released the police report and accompanying video and audio recordings in saying their officers acted properly.
“Our officers acted appropriately. There was no misconduct on our part,” Warren Police Commissioner
William Dwyer told The Macomb Daily. “He was responsible to identify himself when asked by a law enforcement officer.”
Dwyer disputed Owens’ claim he was injured and noted he did not seek treatment while in the city lockup cell.
Dwyer noted that Owens was found by Detroit police internal affairs that he acted unprofessionally.
Owens told The Macomb Daily he received a reprimand, and the incident resulted in his denial to transfer to the K9 unit.
The Warren prosecutor rejected a warrant against Owens for a formal disorderly conduct charge.
Fortner said Owens spent nearly 24 hours in the city lockup cell, but Dwyer said it was slightly less than eight hours.
In audio and an in-car video of the incident released by Warren police, Owens is heard complaining about the handcuff’s tightness and asked officers several times to loosen them.
Fortner said the police report falsely indicated Owns had alcohol on his breathe and responded to officers’ request for his name by saying, “Go ahead, lock me up.”
“Officers basically made up some charges in order to justify arresting him,” Fortner said at the conference.
Fortner said a lawsuit will be filed Monday, likely in federal court in Detroit. Accusations will include racial bias, wrongful arrest and imprisonment, Fortner said.
Warren police Capt. Christian Bonett provided a different version of events in a narrative accompanying six clips from audio microphones and patrol-car cameras.
Bonett says Owens broached the topic of his profession by saying he is a “f------ police officer.”
“This is the exchange that prompts inquiry into Owen’s profession,” Bonett said.
Bonett says “officers attempt to reason with Owens” in hopes he provides information so he can be released.
“Owens refuses to act reasonably even in discussion with his own supervisors, who clearly tell Owens that WPD has the right to ask for his information given the events of the evening are occurring at his home and that he can be arrested for hindering if he persists,” Bonett said.
Multiple officers, including those from Detroit, checked the “spacing” of Owens handcuffs, according to Bonett.
In an audio clip, a woman can be heard telling officers, Owens didn’t disclose his job with the Detroit police and the department is “already after him’ and he is ‘already in trouble.’” She said, “He doesn’t need this.”
Owens denied he has prior disciplinary issues in the Detroit Police Department.