(WWJ) Detroit’s top cop, Police Chief James Craig, says he refuses to join the more than two dozen police chiefs across the country who have resigned amid Black Lives Matter protests.
Chief Craig said at least 27 police chiefs in major American cities have stepped down since George Floyd, an African American man, died at the hands of a police officer, who is white.
“Unprecedented times right now that we are in,” Craig told WWJ City Beat reporter, Vickie Thomas. “Some of those chiefs that have resigned I know personally from being a sitting member on Major City Chiefs.”
Craig’s refusal to go anywhere comes despite calls from several activist groups, including Detroit Will Breathe, for him to step down.
“We’re going to continue to keep this city safe,” Craig said. “We’re not going to allow what you saw in Seattle where they set up a no cop zone, where police officers had to retreat from their police stations.”
Related: Chief Craig Says He Won't Allow A 'Seattle Zone Of Lawlessness' In Detroit
Craig said situations like that leave cities vulnerable to more dangerous and violent crime.
“Then, when crimes were committed, two of them in fact were murders, they (the officers) couldn’t even go in and conduct a proper investigation,” Craig said.
Detroit Will Breathe and 14 individuals sued the city for alleged excessive force against “peaceful protesters” including “beatings, tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, sound cannons, flash grenades, chokeholds and mass arrests without probable cause;” according to a federal court document.
A federal judge granted a two-week restraining order on September 4 against Detroit Police from using batons, gas and rubber bullets on “peaceful protesters.”
“Our officers (in the cases we did use force) were being attacked by projectiles, and the narrative coming out of Detroit Will Breathe is they are not aware of any violence and there wasn’t anyone armed with railroad spikes, or wooden hammers,” Craig said in a live interview on WWJ after the ruling. “That’s not true.”
Craig said “peaceful” is the key word in the ruling.
“It comes down to one basic thing: we don’t want to use force on peaceful protesters," Craig said during the interview.
Dallas Police Chief, Renee Hall, was among the more than two dozen chiefs who resigned. She is a Detroit-native, a second-generation former Detroit police officer, and the former Deputy Chief. She also made history as the first female police chief in Dallas.
Seattle’s police chief, Carmen Best; Atlanta’s, Erika Shields, and Portland’s Jami Resch are among the others.