Southfield Police say claims of excessive force false after Facebook post

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Southfield Police Department has responded to allegations of excessive force after a police stop last week. A video posted on social media claimed a man was stopped by police, ripped from his truck, and then pepper-sprayed. But on Monday, police released its own video.

A Facebook post that went up last week by the user TJ Monroe has been shared hundreds of times. He claims he was thrown to the ground and pepper-sprayed during the traffic stop on Southfield Road near 12 Mile.

When Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren spoke on Monday, he released body-cam video that showed Monroe was cuffed for a short time. But Barren said there was no pepper spray.

"He was not pepper-sprayed – in fact, the Southfield Police Department, we're not even equipped to pepper spray," Barren said.

It started with a 911 call. The caller said his car was stolen and saw it driving north on Southfield Road.

That call to police led them to the Dodge Durango that they believed was stolen. It was parked behind a plaza off Southfield, near 12 Mile.

The driver had a firearm in the cup holder, which he told police about and then they ordered him out of the car.

For 30 seconds, Monroe was handcuffed on the ground while maintaining his innocence.

"My pistol's right there. It's registered. All my paperwork is in the car. I didn’t steal no f------ truck, man," he said in the video released by Southfield Police.

Monroe calms down and the officers check his paperwork. Meanwhile, no pepper spray has been deployed.

Then police give him tips on how to protect his new SUV.

"Make sure you get some stuff for your ride because people are taking these like crazy," a Southfield officer said.

The stop and handcuffing was a mistake and not a stolen car, police explain to him. And the video even ended cordially.

"We’ve gotten so many of these stolen vehicles with guns inside we, unfortunately, have to handle it this way," he said. "All right man, you take it easy. You be safe. It’s a dangerous world man."

Barren said on Monday that he understands Monroe was upset about the detainment since he was innocent but said he wants to put the entire thing to rest before the story gets misinterpreted.

"I understand Mr. Monroe being upset but the response cannot be to falsely accuse the Southfield Police Department of misconduct," Barren said.

Barren is cautioning everyone not to believe what they see in a short video posted online.

We talked to Monroe on the phone and explained the bodycam footage. He stood by his claim of being pepper-sprayed and promised he had video himself that he would provide. As of 5 p.m., he has not done so.