(WWJ) Priscilla Slater, 38, died last week in the custody of Harper Woods police and now six employees are off the beat -- four civilians and two supervisors.
The Harper Woods Department of Public Safety says the employees are on administrative leave while Michigan State Police investigates Slater's death. Slater was found unresponsive in a holding cell Wednesday after she was arrested in connection with shots being fired at Parkcrest Inn.
The employee investigation comes as protests erupted in Harper Woods Sunday; Some protesters marched to the mayor's house demanding answers.
"We had to make a courtesy call to his front porch so he'll understand that we will not accept you devaluing and dismissing, denigrating and degrading this sister and her family," protester Teferi Brent told WDIV-TV.
Things got uglier when the mayor's wife ripped one of the protester's signs. She said it had an expletive aimed at police, while they said it had the slogan Black Lives Matter. The end result is that Harper Woods mayor Kenneth Poynter's home was covered in Black Lives Matter signs left behind by protesters.
Poynter told WDIV he respects the right to protest.
While the cause of Slater's death is pending toxicology results, Geoffrey Fieger has taken on the case, telling FOX 2 something doesn't add up.
"There is no possible way that police taking care of her, would not see someone was in a serious medical need and obtain medical help," Fieger said. "She didn't just up and die in the jail. She was there for 36 hours."
He added: "She just didn't die from a heart attack, she laid on a floor and died - why didn't anybody help her. The indifference of the authorities, the powers that be, to black lives is astounding. It doesn't happen to rich white people."
