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Black resident protests Woodhaven police over 2017 arrest with provocative sign display
Peterson was charged with assaulting a police officer. The charge was dropped and later reinstated - after Peterson filed a $200 million lawsuit against Woodhaven PD and 33rd District Court, saying he was assaulted by police, wrongfully arrested, and maliciously prosecuted.
WOODHAVEN, Mich. (FOX 2) - "White crime pays", "Black lives don’t matter" and a "White privilege forever" sign sat outside the Woodhaven Police Department Sunday alongside a partially burned Confederate flag, in a strange display that upset many.
It was a jarring sight that drew a lot of concern — a Facebook post about it was shared a thousand times.
FOX 2: "You’re saying this about Woodhaven PD?"
"Woodhaven PD and the white man in general," said Bradley Peterson, who is Black and Native American.
Peterson is behind the display – it’s a protest against Woodhaven PD with which he has a longstanding beef --stemming from an arrest at the 33rd District Court in 2017.
"I was kicked out of the court for calling the judge an a-hole twice. Which I did," he said. "The police officer approached me and asked me for ID, I stuck my hand in my pocket to give him ID that he asked for, and he threw me to the ground and arrested me."
Peterson was charged with assaulting a police officer. The charge was dropped and later reinstated - after Peterson filed a $200 million lawsuit against Woodhaven PD and 33rd District Court, saying he was assaulted by police, wrongfully arrested, and maliciously prosecuted.
FOX 2: "What do you say to that message that he’s trying to communicate?"
"That it’s absolutely inaccurate. His statements don’t reflect the values of our department, our officers or community," said Police Chief Robert Toth.
Toth says Peterson has protested the department before, adding he normally wears the signs, but this time he set them up in front of the police department.
"I think that his message is falling short," Toth said. "I think he is offending more people than he is gaining support from."
Toth says he violated zoning ordinances in doing so, and was uncooperative when officers informed him of it. Even so, those police officers were careful to not escalate the situation further.
"Our officers pride themselves on not getting into civil litigation over violating a person’s rights," the chief said. "And in fact, the ironic part is, we’re upholding his constitutional rights to allow him to express his statements - even though his statements are directed at protesting us."
The police chief could not go comment on that 2017 arrest because there’s still pending litigation.