Video shows bouncer beaten by Detroit officer, 4-year-old injured by gunfire, a weed vending machine

Video shows Detroit police vice squad member assault bouncer

A bouncer is considering legal action after he says Detroit police used excessive force - and says he has the video to prove it.

WEDNESDAY NEWS HIT - A bouncer is considering pursuing legal action after he says Detroit police used excessive force - and says he has the video to prove it. The bouncer says he interacts with police fairly often, he has friends that are cops but what he experienced changed his view of police officers -and he never expected something like this to happen

A Project Greenlight camera was rolling as a Detroit Police Department Vice Squad officer beat on a nightclub bouncer.

"I mean you kind of feel like your hands are tied, and it’s a little demoralizing - just as a person in general, to go through something like that," said Michael Kennebrew.

Kennebrew says the beating inside Minnie’s in downtown Detroit last Thursday was unprovoked and uncalled for.

Sources say the vice officers were at the club for a liquor license inspection. Kennebrew says this female officer asks if he was armed, he says no. She then tries to grab him and Kennebrew pulls away.

That seemingly set off the officer next to her who pounced on Kennebrew punching him repeatedly. Kennebrew says he was careful not to resist, careful not to defend himself.

"Another officer had a Taser that was in front of me coming towards my face area, so I didn’t want to make any moves," he said. "So I just rode it out until it was over."

Kennebrew did not have a gun. He was arrested, jailed, and spent nearly three days in lock up as DPD sought a charge of assaulting a police officer. They didn’t get it.

FOX 2: "All that for nothing?"

"Yep," he said.

Todd Perkins is Kennebrew’s lawyer. They’re considering seeking legal action against DPD. Perkins says it’s not hard to imagine what would’ve happened to Kennebrew if the shoe were on the other foot.

"They arrested Mr. Kennebrew, that officer should be arrested," Perkins said. "If, in fact, Mr. Kennebrew had done what was done to him, he would’ve been shot, he would’ve been killed, and it would’ve been a justified killing."

Second Deputy Chief Rudy Harper provided a statement saying:

"DPD’s executive team is reviewing the situation and will be transparent with the results. Chief White has made it clear that the community deserves policing excellence and anything less is unacceptable."

Kennebrew says that an officer does not deserve a badge.

"I really think he shouldn’t have his job with the city because he could do that to anyone. my mother, your mother, my sister," he said.

"I know that this department wants better, they want more," Perkins said. "I know the new chief is trying hard, but this right here, is absolutely unacceptable."

The top brass in Detroit police is looking into the situation. A source tells FOX 2 that an assaulting a police officer charge was denied for insufficient evidence.

It’s unclear if DPD submitted the surveillance video shown in this story in their warrant request.

4-year-old recovering after being shot at Detroit bus station

Detroit police say a 4-year-old that was shot early Wednesday morning will recover from their injuries.

An active police scene was reported at Joy and Evergreen on the city's west side where the child was allegedly struck by gunfire while standing at a bus stop.

The details around the gun shots haven't been released and police are still investigating the incident. Detroit police were spotted looking around a gas station and the nearby Coney Island.

No further information was given by police, except that the victim will recover.

Whitmer talks 1 on 1 about fight over abortion rights

Michigan's state abortion ban is among the strictest in the country and will become the prevailing rule overseeing the practice if the draft opinion leaked from the Supreme Court of the United States is released as stands. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says she will fast track her own lawsuit that seeks clarification from the state's high court in an effort to protect the practice.

Some prosecutors have hinted they would ignore the ruling that would roll back Roe V. Wade. Others say they would prosecute. The state Attorney General told FOX 2 earlier this year that she would not take on cases of abortion. Whitmer said she appreciated the leaders in law enforcement stand by their oath and live their values, but "at the end of the day, we've got to have a law in Michigan that protects all women and that’s why it’s important for the Supreme Court to act."

Whitmer also told FOX 2 that it was important to have "national recognition" for abortion to be a right, even if letting the states decide the best path forward might be a more democratic way to handle things.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer talks about her plan to protect abortion rights in Michigan

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been talking about the reproductive rights battle for some time, specifically that 1931 trigger law that kicks in, should Roe vs Wade be repealed.

"I can’t speak for what’s happening in Congress, but what I can speak for, is the people of Michigan who largely support - 70 percent support - a woman’s right to choose." Read and watch the whole interview here.

'Brazenness' of marijuana vending machine bolted to home 'shocking': ATF agent

You don't get chips or a candy bar out of a certain vending machine bolted to the outside of a Detroit home on the city's west side. "I used it probably like four or five times," said an anonymous customer. The customer who took a viral Instagram video of how the marijuana vending machine works, explained the operation.

"He was selling like, souvenirs," she said. "It's an excellent service, I think it just got out of hand." The term "souvenirs" is code – obviously - as the machine took credit cards and even Apple Pay. "It’s just things you can’t do," said Paul Vanderplow, ATF special agent in charge.

ATF: Detroit man has marijuana vending machine bolted to side of his house

The machine even took Apple Pay, and allegedly helped the owner rake in about $2,000 a day.

The feds, including the ATF have seen it all, but, a marijuana vending machine bolted to the side of the home on Detroit’s west side, that’s a new one. "I have to say the brazenness of it was shocking," Vanderplow said. The alleged owner of the machine, Marcellus Cornwell was raking it in - with estimates of making $2,000 a day.

He was allegedly operating his business for four years. "Entrepreneurial at its best, unfortunately, both things were illegal," Vanderplow said. The "both" – the ATF is referring to, is that Cornwell is being investigated for selling guns out of a house off Mettetal Street, possibly to minors. Eighteen firearms seized from his house – including a sawed-off shotgun.

$20M home repair program for lower income Detroit residents

Look around downtown Detroit, and you’ll see new construction popping up almost everywhere. Detroit is in a new construction renaissance. While it looks good, what may be better is repairing the quality of homes considered inadequate.

There are tens of thousands of homes in the city that need a lot of TLC. A survey by the University of Michigan’s Detroit Metro Area Community study says one in seven occupied households in Detroit have major repair issues.

The goal is simple - help low-income homeowners, who are financially burdened by the need for house repairs. For Loretta Powell, this program offers hope. "I’m just so grateful and happy that the city, the residents, will be able to get what they need," Powell said.

Detroit Home Repair Fund offers hope for lower income residents

Detroit’s battle with blight is well-documented. Studies show living in or near inadequate housing can lead to chronic health conditions or injuries for our most vulnerable.

The Detroit Home Repairs Fund is spearheaded by the Gilbert Family Foundation, which is partnering with companies like DTE Energy, ProMedica, Enterprise, and the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative. The team will invest $20 million into the fund.

What else we're watching

A Canadian citizen was arrested while trying to illegally cross the border into the U.S. while riding aboard a freight train through the tunnel connecting the two countries. The individual had an arrest warrant out of Ontario.
Activists across Detroit mobilized in favor of abortion rights following the leak of a draft opinion from the Supreme Court of the United States. The pro-choice protest gathered outside the federal courthouse in downtown Detroit.
Some 70+ concerts across five venues in Metro Detroit will have tickets on sale for just $25, according to Live Nation. The sale begins at 10 a.m. at www.313Presents.com
There are plenty of job openings with the Detroit Parks and Recreation Department. The summer season hiring fairs kicked off this weekend and two more are scheduled Wednesday at the Kemeny Recreation Center and Friday at the Heilmann Recreation Center.
And speaking of hiring, the Michigan Metroparks system is offering up to $1,200 in bonuses for new hires this year. Click here for more info.