Billboard Critical of East Lansing Police Chief Goes Up in Lansing
A billboard drawing attention to controversy around East Lansing Police Chief Jen Brown went up in Lansing today.
The billboard features a statement Brown made in an interview with WLNS last October that has been characterized as racist by residents, the Lansing NAACP branch and City Manager Robert Belleman: “We have a disproportionate amount of minorities come into the community and commit crimes.”
Belleman has called the incident a “learning opportunity” and has since expressed support for the police chief. Still, for months City Council meetings have been attended by residents calling for Brown’s resignation. The billboard urges people to call the East Lansing City Council.
Brown’s comment isn’t the only incident that has caused controversy around ELPD. During Michigan State University’s welcome weekend, ELPD Officer Andrew Lyon deployed pepper spray on two Black men downtown. Brown later coordinated an ELPD press release that justified officers’ actions in the incident and named the two men arrested.
However, surveillance footage later released by the attorney for both men painted a different picture than the press release, showing there was some pushing and shouting but no punches were thrown. Additionally, Lonnie Smith, one of the men pepper sprayed, arrested and named in the press release, appears to step in to act as a peacekeeper in the altercation shortly before Lyon arrived at the scene.
Charges against both men were dropped and the city ordered an independent review of police policies and actions during and after MSU’s welcome weekend.
East Lansing has been sued in federal court over the pepper-spray incident and the press release. East Lansing Communications Director Carrie Sampson said the city has no comment on the billboard due to ongoing litigation.
The billboard, which is located on Lansing’s east side near the corner of Kalamazoo Street and Mifflin Avenue, was brought by Citizens for Justice, in partnership with the Women’s Center of Greater Lansing and the Lansing NAACP branch.
Nadia Sellers, who is Smith’s mother, told East Lansing Info in a phone call Tuesday that Citizens for Justice is a new organization operating as a branch of Honey Bear Project, an Okemos-based nonprofit organization Sellers is the CEO of.
Citizens For Justice advocates on the behalf of people who were hurt by an injustice, Sellers told ELi. The group has between 15 and 20 members and is about three weeks old.
Citizens for Justice is working with others in the Greater Lansing area to mediate situations. The group attempts to resolve situations privately, and will turn to public advocacy if those efforts stall, Sellers said.
“We’re tired of the establishment overpowering the people, the people outnumber the establishment,” she said, adding the group plans to purchase more billboards.