City Manager Says Video Release of Fatal ELPD Shooting Could Come This Week
East Lansing could release footage this week of an April 15 incident where East Lansing police fatally shot Isaiah Kirby, who was suspected of stabbing a local attorney, City Manager Robert Belleman told East Lansing Info in a phone call Monday.
The new timeline came days after the East Lansing Police Department said in a press release it was “reevaluating” the release of footage after meeting with Kirby’s family and communicating with Michigan State Police on Thursday.
In a statement put out later Thursday night, Kirby’s family’s attorney stated the family was shown a heavily edited video timeline of events that was “not transparency,” calling for unedited footage to be released. Now, Belleman says the city will release more footage than was shown to Kirby’s family.
“It’s my understanding we’re going to release more footage in the explained timeline, and then we’re going to release the videos from the body worn cameras and the vehicles,” Belleman said, adding that faces will be redacted from the video. He said the city is “hoping to” release the footage this week.
In the call with ELi early Monday evening, Belleman said that after meeting with Kirby’s family, the city reached out to Michigan State Police, or MSP, the agency investigating the ELPD officers involved. MSP indicated investigators had finished interviewing witnesses, and deferred back to the ELPD on releasing footage.
Belleman said that prior to the call with MSP early Thursday evening, the city’s understanding was that State Police wanted the city to be “judicious” with the footage released, so it did not impact its investigation.
“When we understood that change, we heard what the family … the feedback they gave us after they saw the timeline video, and so we’re going back to the drawing board to pull more of the videos,” Belleman said.
“Once MSP indicated that it was a local decision, that was the game changer for us,” Belleman added. “We did not have that understanding prior to about 5 o’clock on Thursday evening.”
At a press conference the day of the incident, Police Chief Jennifer Brown said officers were responding to a report of theft at a business near the intersection of Lake Lansing Road and Abbot Road, when police received a second call reporting that a man had stabbed someone multiple times in the area.
Police shot and killed Kirby when he ran at officers and refused to drop his weapon, Brown said at the press conference.
Kirby was a 21-year-old Michigan State University student who was set to graduate in weeks, the family said in an April 22 press release.
The stabbing victim was later identified by Foster Swift law firm as 63-year-old Douglas Mielock, who ELPD said in an April 20 release is recovering at home.
Kirby’s family and their attorney called on the city to release unedited footage in the April 22 press release, a sentiment shared by residents during public comment at City Council meetings held after the incident. Kirby’s family also set up a hotline for people with information, video or audio of the incident to call.
“We’re trying to get the information out as quickly as we can,” Belleman told ELi Monday evening. “[We’re] trying to be responsive to the calls for transparency, it’s a balancing act.”