DETROIT – Detroit police Chief James White has responded after a video showed a police officer telling someone to quote, “Go back to Mexico.”
The incident occurred during a protest over President Joe Biden visiting Detroit for the annual NAACP dinner, and a new video was released by police showing that more went on than what Local 4 first saw.
There was another protest of DPD after some protestors were arrested outside the POTUS visit on Sunday (May 19).
The woman involved in the incident said they were just protesting Biden’s trip to Detroit.
At those protests outside Huntington Place on Sunday evening, protestor Lexi Zeidan drew the attention of Detroit police Lt. Brandon Cole, who pointed at her and began recording her with his phone and, in an exchange with her saying to go back to Mexico.
Zeidan is Palestinian, not Mexican.
“I said, ‘I am not even Mexican, you Expletive idiot,’” Zeidan said.
White said he was offended by what he heard in the video.
“I was offended, in fact I was outraged,” said White.
White says he called for an immediate investigation and says the body camera video provides context into the incident.
Zeidan was recently on vacation in Mexico, and she said she was told that police were surveilling her social media.
Internal Affairs Officer Michael McGinnis talked to the media on Monday to describe the situation.
“Members of this program group, there’s evidence that they have been posting personal information about officers,” said McGinnis.
“Using fear as a tactic to suppress us and keep us silent, and what they don’t know is that the more they come for me, the more I am going to speak out for my people,” Zeidan said.
In the profanity-laced video between the officer and Zeidan, the officer could be heard telling her to go back to Mexico, where she was just on vacation.
Officials say the officer has been suspended for his comments as the incident is under investigation.
Zeidan says she does not post personal information about police officers.
The protest group and McGinnis are familiar with each other from other encounters.