MARINE CITY, Mich. – A Michigan business owner was pepper-sprayed during an altercation involving “First Amendment auditors.”
The group claimed the use of pepper spray was in self-defense, saying they were lawfully filming the Marine City business and had done nothing wrong.
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The owner of the meat market, however, said he was attempting to speak with police officers. Now the confrontation is under investigation.
On Tuesday, Jan. 6, the Marine City Police Department received multiple reports of a group filming both public and private properties, including local businesses and city facilities, according to a release.
“While the group generally complied with requests to remain on public walkways, an escalation occurred in front of Zimmerman’s Market on Broadway Street,” the release stated.
The confrontation happened when the group was filming into the meat market and became involved in a dispute with the business owners.
One of the business owners said the group was recording and making faces at her, prompting her to ask if she could help them. She said the group refused to respond, which scared her, so she called the police.
Her father then said he saw a police car down the street, and said he was going to walk outside to get help from the officer.
As he did that, a member of the group pepper-sprayed him, the video shows.
The woman said she had to call 911 again before help arrived. The man was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The owners have closed Zimmerman’s Meat Market until further notice and told Local 4 they are selling the business.
“The department is aware of the sign,” said Marine City Police Chief James D. Heaslip. “We respect the business owner’s right to free speech, but our focus remains on providing professional law enforcement services to the entire community. Our officers are on the clock 24/7 to ensure the safety of our citizens, and that hasn’t changed.”
Video of the dispute has been circulating on social media and has garnered thousands of views.
The group says it records in public spaces to exercise their rights and educate others about those rights.
Because of conflicting accounts about what happened, the police department is investigating whether the pepper spray was used in self-defense or was an unprovoked assault.
Police seized the pepper spray. They also viewed and requested the video footage for their full review. Once the investigation is complete, the findings will be submitted to the St. Clair County Prosecutor’s Office to determine whether charges will be filed.
“The MCPD is aware of videos circulating on social media,” police said in a release. “We ask for the community’s patience as we conduct a thorough investigation to ensure all facts are gathered before a final determination is made. A full incident briefing will be released to the public once the investigative process concludes.”