Michigan Police Officers Charged After Fairgrounds Incident With Teen

Two Imlay City police officers are now facing charges after an incident involving a handcuffed 17-year-old at the Eastern Michigan Fairgrounds last summer, and after watching the body camera footage, it’s honestly hard not to walk away feeling sad for everybody involved.

What Happened at the Eastern Michigan Fairgrounds?

According to reporting from ABC 12, this all started back in July of 2025 when an intoxicated teenager was causing problems at the fairgrounds. Officers were trying to take him home when things inside the patrol car escalated.

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The teen, who was already handcuffed, was repeatedly banging his head against the divider inside the vehicle. One officer warned him to stop or he’d be pepper sprayed. The teenager basically challenged him to do it, and seconds later, he was sprayed.

Imlay City Police Body Camera Video Captures Confrontation at the Fair

From there, the situation just seemed to spiral. The teen can be heard saying he couldn’t see and couldn’t breathe, while officers threatened to tase him if he didn’t calm down.

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At one point, another officer allegedly told the teen, “I don’t care if you’re 17, we are going to beat your ass,” before what appears to be a knee strike during the struggle.
Eventually, the teen was tased while still handcuffed.

Imlay City Officers Now Facing Criminal Charges

One former officer is facing a felony charge tied to the taser use, while another officer is charged with misdemeanor assault and battery. One officer has already resigned, while the other remains with the department in an administrative role.

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And look, nobody is saying dealing with intoxicated or combative people is easy. Police officers deal with difficult situations every day. But when the person involved is a handcuffed 17-year-old, it raises a lot of questions about where the line is, and whether this situation ever should have reached this point.