Detroit protest organizer’s charges reduced after initially jailed for inciting a riot

Tristan A. Taylor, a Detroit police brutality protest organizer, was detained by Detroit police for 16-plus hours after being arrested Tuesday night following a march that violated the city’s emergency 8 p.m. curfew.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig said Taylor, 37, of Detroit, remained in custody longer than most of the other 126 arrested protesters, who were charged with curfew violations, because Taylor was initially charged with a felony, inciting a riot. The charge was reduced to a misdemeanor crime of resisting a police office and Craig said Taylor had been released as of 2:15 p.m. Wednesday.

As of 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Detroit Detention Center personnel said Taylor remained jailed.

The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office didn’t receive a criminal warrant request from Detroit police, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s spokeswoman Maria Miller said Wednesday morning. Miller said the prosecutor’s office is not part of the investigation. Possible charges, in an unusual move, are instead being investigated by the Detroit Law Department. Detroit officials haven’t said why the Law Department, instead of the prosecutor’s office, is handling the case.

Craig said his officers were patient on Tuesday and gave protesters nearly an hour of warning before making mass arrests for curfew violations.

Police ultimately arrested 127 protesters, including about 90 from outside Detroit and six from outside of Michigan, including California, Maryland, New York and Washington D.C.

“Here’s the question: Why are you here,” Craig said Wednesday of the out-of-town protesters. Leaders and residents have “resoundingly said, go home. We don’t want you here."

Craig has blamed nonresidents for inciting violence against police.

Another police brutality protest is planned in Detroit beginning at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Detroit protesters, in the name of George Floyd, a black man who died during a May 25 arrest in Minneapolis sparking riots and protests nationwide, began marching daily on Friday May 29.

Detroit police in riot gear have clashed with protesters on four of the five nights. Stefan Perez, 16, of Detroit, is credited with defusing a standoff that resulted in protesters dispersing without violence on Monday.

Each of the protests remained mostly peaceful until the large groups, at times numbering over 1,000, were confronted by Detroit police in riot gear. A small number of protesters on previous nights were seen verbally antagonizing or throwing objects at police, which led police to advance on the crowds, firing tear gas, nonlethal bullets and in some cases tackling fleeing protesters.

Craig said protesters on prior nights damaged police vehicles and threw various projectiles, including “railroad ties and “small boulders.” MLive reporters witnessed bottles and fireworks being thrown or fired at police.

There has not been significant property damage, arson or looting during the Detroit protests.

Multiple members of the media, sometimes embedded with protesters, have been shoved, shot with nonlethal bullets and temporarily arrested during police attempts to disperse crowds.

A group of over 100 protesters faced off with Detroit police on Gratiot Avenue about 8:50 p.m. Tuesday, although it’s not clear that any of the protesters instigated physical violence with police.

Chief Craig was asked by a reporter Wednesday if the fact that protesters didn’t appear to be throwing projectiles or initiating violence with police impacted the decision to engage protesters with force.

“What was the foremost in my mind, we have a curfew,” Craig said. He said some protesters embedded with the march were believed to have “other agendas.”

“This is about keeping our city safe, reducing the likelihood of property damage,” Craig said " ... We responded appropriately ... It’s not my goal to arrest, but they violated the curfew ...

“What if we’d done (nothing) and there was looting, burning, shootings ... Have you seen what’s going on around the country? Do we think that it could happen here."

Nakia-Renne Wallace, the niece of Taylor, has spoken at prior Detroit police brutality protests alongside Taylor and issued a statement on Facebook in response to the Tuesday night arrests and her uncle’s jailing.

She called the curfew an “unjust” attempt to “squash the movement” and protected free speech.

“After three days of watching the Detroit Police Department brutalize and reign terror on those who chose to stay and protest while lying about their motives and trying to divide our movement, we decided it was time to stand up and stand with those brothers and sisters who were bravely and courageously opposing this injustice,” Wallace wrote.

She said protesters who didn’t wish to violate the curfew order were given an opportunity to disperse prior to 8 p.m.

Wallace said police later approached protesters on Gratiot Avenue.

“Despite the best efforts of the police to disorient, bully, and threaten the crowd, we stood our ground,” Wallace said. "We were an immovable force. The police rushed the crowd and pepper sprayed us, brutally attacking many of the protesters ... "

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced on Monday that a curfew would remain in place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily for at least a week.

While speaking to protesters Sunday night, Taylor told the crowd he was invited to meet with Chief Craig privately to discuss the possibility of dismissing charges against protesters arrested on previous nights.

“This is how sellouts happen,” Taylor told the crowd. “When these conversations happen in closed doors, nuh uh.

“So here’s my proposal ... I want to reconvene Wednesday at 4 o’clock and I want Chief Craig to join us so we can have that discussion together as a movement. If he’s serious about it, he can bring the mayor too.”

The death of George Floyd, who was killed during a police detention in Minneapolis, has sparked protests and unrest worldwide as many protesters are asking for changes to occur within the institution of policing.

More on MLive:

Detroit police arrest protesters on fifth night of marching

Curfews set in 3 Michigan cities

Protesters clash with police in Kalamazoo

Detroit protests turn violent

Detroit protests end peacefully

Grand Rapids protesters scatter

Lansing protesters riot on Sunday