Deputy slapped minor during arrest and now 2 officers face charges, Michigan cops say

Two deputies were arrested following an alleged child abuse incident involving a minor being taken into custody, Michigan authorities say.

The incident happened Aug. 30 when Macomb County deputies Derek Reed and Alan Weir were tasked with bringing a juvenile to jail for a probation violation, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office said in a Sept. 20 news release.

As they were taking the juvenile into custody, Reed slapped the juvenile, the prosecutor said. The 14-year-old boy was handcuffed as he was assaulted, prosecutor Pete Lucido told WDIV.

Photos documented the teen’s injuries, WDIV reported, citing Lucido.

Now the deputies, who have a combined 26 years of experience with the department, face charges.

Reed was charged with fourth-degree child abuse and failure to uphold the law, according to the prosecutor. Weir was charged with willful neglect of duty.

All of the charges are misdemeanors, said Lucido, who added that the deputies are due back in court Oct. 30.

The deputies were placed on paid administrative leave, the sheriff’s office said.

“The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office takes all allegations of this nature seriously,” Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said in a statement posted on Facebook. “Individuals in positions of power, especially those in law enforcement, must be held to the highest of standards.”

Macomb County is about 40 miles northeast of Detroit.

This story was originally published September 21, 2023 at 9:28 AM with the headline "Deputy slapped minor during arrest and now 2 officers face charges, Michigan cops say."