New video released of most recent incident where a trooper was criminally charged
SAGINAW, Mich. (WJRT) - Michigan State Police are taking a closer look at excessive use of force.
A couple of weeks ago, trooper Paul Arrowood was charged with two crimes stemming from an encounter with a man walking on Webber Street in Saginaw.
It is one of three excessive use of force incidents involving troopers at the Tri-Cities Post within the last 12 months. Michigan State Police are talking a closer look at these incidents.
They have to wait for the criminal investigations to be done before internal reviews of these incidents are conducted, but the commander of the Third District is confident in the process that exposes excessive force incidents.
"They do phenomenal things every day under the most intense situations, which quite frankly should make us proud, and this incident is not reflective of that and it's not who we are," said Capt. Greg Morenko of the Michigan State Police.
New body camera footage of the Sept. 4 incident involving Arrowood was released this week. Arrowood approached a man walking on Webber Street in Saginaw on that night.
"You can't be walking in the roadways," Arrowood can be heard saying as he approaches the man.
Arrowood grabbed the 28-year-old man and apparently felt the man was resisting. Arrowood threw the man to the ground and the trooper's body camera fell off in the process.
Video from another trooper's camera shows Arrowood punching the man several times. Arrowood was charged with assault and misconduct in office.
"A member of our agency identified the potential misconduct there and got the investigative process going, which ultimately led to where we are right now," Morenko said.
Last March, trooper Bram Schroeder of the same post punched a man during a traffic stop and was criminally charged. A preliminary hearing in that case is scheduled for next month.
There was a third alleged excessive use of force incident involving a Tri-Cities Post trooper, but the Saginaw County Prosecutor's Office declined to issue a criminal charge against the trooper last week.
Morenko said the third incident was not flagged at first as a potential case of excessive force.
"We missed some things in one of these incidents. What was missed and why it was missed and who missed it -- that is what we are trying to figure out and we will correct that," Morenko said.
He said there has been additional training on the use of force and how to review such incidents.
"It is not indicative of the 1,000-plus troopers out there doing awesome work every day. I am confident in them, confident in their supervision," Morenko said.
Michigan State Police released the initial video of the September incident for transparency.
Arrowood had a court hearing Thursday and waived his right to a preliminary hearing within 21 days and new a court date has not been set. He remains on unpaid suspension from Michigan State Police.
