During summer 2022, I spoke with members of East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission to inform the community of what role the commission plays in alleviating and confronting issues of systemic racism in policing.
My piece revealed the largest obstacle the commission faces: they have no power.
ELPD’s Oversight Commission works to address racial inequities in East Lansing
Following charges filed by Attorney General Dana Nessel against DeAnthony VanAtten, a Black man, shot by East Lansing police officers in April 2022, a critical mass was held at an East Lansing City Council meeting in early September.
My piece highlighted Black activists and community members in leading a protest against charges filed against VanAtten.
‘Dana Nessel lied to the community’: Community leaders speak out against charges filed against DeAnthony VanAtten
East Lansing Police Department’s August 2022 use of force report revealed that 66% of cases in which officers used “reasonable force when encountering resistance” were against Black individuals 18 to 35 years old. This information was revealed in this use of force report which followed months after the shooting of Black man DeAnthony VanAtten by East Lansing police officers.
This piece was one of many I wrote in covering police brutality and systemic racism in the city following the shooting of VanAtten.
66% of August use of force incidents were against young Black men, ELPD reports