ELPD Under Fire After Video Shows Officer Striking Restrained Black Woman

The City of East Lansing says a video of several police officers restraining a Black woman lying face down while one officer punches her does not paint a full picture of the incident, but local leaders and advocates are decrying the city’s police department for fostering a culture of violence against Black people.

Over the weekend, footage of the incident began circulating on social media, showing a woman, identified by the NAACP Lansing Branch as 20-year-old Myana Collins, being carried in wrist restraints behind her back out of Harper’s Restaurant and Brew Pub by a group of police officers. Throughout the nearly 14 minutes of video, Collins screams for help, saying “they’re being racist” and “please save me” as multiple officers restrain her as she lays on her stomach, face down.

As Collins screams in front of a crowd of people in front of the stairs at the Harper’s entrance, an officer repeatedly punches her in the back as he and two other officers are actively restraining Collins who had been lying face down with her hands behind her back.

A cell phone video that shows a Black woman being struck by an ELPD officer during an arrest outside of Harper’s Brew Pub. About 4:30 into the video, an officer strikes the woman in the back multiple times.

In the video posted to Facebook, the person recording says Collins was intoxicated and that Harper’s security should have called an ambulance, instead of the police. Several voices can be heard criticizing officers’ handling of the incident as the arrest unfolds.

The video drew outrage from many, including the NAACP Lansing Branch, which released a statement calling for accountability for a culture of racism at the East Lansing Police Department.

“Once again this disturbing video shows the East Lansing Police Department’s use of excessive force on another Black person, this time a black woman,” NAACP Lansing President James McCurtis Jr. said in the group’s written statement. “When will it end? This is an outrage.”

A screenshot from a video that appears to show an ELPD officer kneeling on a woman’s back during an arrest outside of Harper’s Brew Pub on Aug. 2.

The NAACP said in the statement that Collins’ family told them she had been out with friends when ELPD officers arrived at Harper’s. Over the course of the incident, Collins’ family said she was tased multiple times and the officer who punched her did so as she was detained and posed no threat while Collins was terrified.

The NAACP’s written statements said Collins’ family says she was released after the arrest and hasn’t been charged with any crime.

East Lansing police is stuck in a concerning loop of racist behavior, McCurtis Jr. said in the NAACP’s statement, renewing calls for ELPD’s Chief Jennifer Brown to resign or be fired by the city.

“Anything less is a message that Black and Brown people are not welcome in East Lansing,” McCurtis Jr. said.

On Monday, the city issued a press release that said a video of an arrest circulating on social media does not capture the entire incident. The press release does not describe the events captured in the video or give details about the incident beyond that it occurred Sunday morning downtown. The release urges residents with information to contact the police department.

One officer was placed on paid administrative leave and an internal investigation has been opened, the city’s press release said.

This incident comes almost a year after East Lansing police issued a news release about violence in the downtown during Michigan State University’s welcome week, singling out two Black men officers pepper sprayed who were facing criminal charges for fighting. After security footage of the incident was released showing one of the men deescalating an altercation, criminal charges were dropped and the city now faces legal action as the men assert officers used excessive force and the city needlessly made them the face of violence in the downtown when they hadn’t committed any crimes. City officials have refused to comment on the incident due to the pending litigation.

A video of an ELPD officer deploying pepper-spray outside of Dave’s Hot Chicken.

In April, ELPD officers shot and killed Isaiah Kirby, a 21-year-old Black Michigan State University student who was suspected of stabbing a man moments earlier. A month after the incident, police released footage of the incident. ELPD actions have been criticized by residents at city meetings because the shooting unfolded in three distinct volleys – two that occurred while Kirby was no longer on his feet. The matter was referred to the state Attorney General’s office to decide whether or not charges will be brought against officers.

An analysis of city reports conducted by ELi showed that ELPD officers used force far more often in 2025, Brown’s first year leading the police department, than prior years data was collected. Compared to 2024, ELPD officers used force more than 50% more frequently last year.