By Kate Linderman
Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.)
BAY CITY, Mich. — A 1-year-old in a locked car sat on his father’s lap as the 23-year-old refused to surrender to officers saying he was under arrest, Michigan video shows.
Newly released body camera footage of the Dec. 11 incident shows the altercation between Bay City officers and the man, police said in a Dec. 18 Facebook post.
The dad is seen locked in the car with his 1-year-old son sitting in the front seat as police told him he was accused of violating his bond conditions and under arrest, video shows.
McClatchy News is not naming the father to protect the identity of the child.
The man refused to get out of the car, telling police in the video that he did not violate his bond.
After minutes of arguing, the man started to drive the car as police and his family members surrounded it, yelling at the man to stop, according to the video. The toddler, whose face was blurred, could be seen in the man’s lap.
The man also told police, “You’re gonna have to kill me because I didn’t break the law.”
As he continually refused to get out of the car and yelled at police through the window, officers threatened to break one of the windows, video showed. They discussed in the video breaking the rear windows to avoid hurting the child.
With the toddler sitting in the man’s lap, police said he was putting his son in danger, video showed.
“You’re holding your son when I told you you’re going to jail,” an officer said in the video. “You’re trying to use him as a shield.”
Officers broke the rear windows after approximately 10 minutes of pleading with the man to get out of the vehicle, according to the video.
The man was tased and pulled out of the car with the child no longer in his arms, video showed. As he was detained, however, officers could be heard saying they had been stabbed.
The Department of Public Safety said the man had a knife and stabbed and cut two of the officers, according to a Dec. 11 Facebook post.
The 1-year-old was unharmed and given to his mother, police said.
The dad is facing multiple assault charges and a child abuse charge, according to court records.
Bay City is about a 110-mile drive northwest from Detroit.
If you suspect a child has experienced, is currently experiencing, or is at risk of experiencing abuse or neglect, your first step should be to contact the appropriate agency. The Child Welfare Information Gateway has a list of state agencies you can contact. Find help specific to your area here.
For additional help, the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline has professional crisis counselors available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 170 languages. All calls are confidential. The hotline offers crisis intervention, information, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources. You can call or text 1-800-422-4453.
If you believe a child is in immediate danger, please call 911 for help.
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