19-year-old claims police brutality by Warren PD

WARREN, Mich. (WJBK) - A 19-year-old girl spoke out Tuesday about police brutality after she alleges Warren police left her with injuries after her arrest.

Gabrielle Stokes says officers mistreated her when she was arrested on Jan. 3.

She says she was having a going away party at her apartment with her friends when she was arrested around 3 a.m.

She was charged with purchase/consumption of alcohol by a minor and disturbing the peace.

Rev. W.J. Rideout, pastor of Our God's People Church in Detroit, held a protest/press conference Tuesday outside Warren City Hall.

"He took me down the stairs -- dragged me down the stairs, two officers, one officer on this arm -- another officer on this arm," Stokes said.

She says police had her doubled over with her arms above her head, walking her through her apartment complex, instead of directly to the police car.

"For them to call me black b's and shut the f-up and I'm screaming for my life -- you're hurting me - I'm a basketball player. I felt my arm ripping out of my socket," Stokes said.

She says police tore her rotator cuff and sprained her wrists.

She can't play basketball, and says the pain is both physical and emotional.

"Just knowing what the real feeling of racism and police brutality is? This is just insane!" she said.

Warren police say they had been called to the apartment at 3 a.m. by neighbors complaining about a loud party and gunshots fired outside.

Police arrived and arrested a 19-year-old man in the parking lot.

He admitted to firing the gun and said he had been at the party.

Police then arrested Stokes, who was hosting the party, and charged her with disturbing the peace and being a minor in possession of alcohol -- she blew a 0.08.

But her parents says police took it all too far.

"Why do you have to treat this young 19-year-old teenager like this? There was no reason for that type of abuse. You physically assaulted her and you mentally broke her," said her mother, R&B singer Sara Stokes.

"This has to stop. We're not going to take this sitting down. We're not going to take this laying down," said her father Emanuel Stokes.

"Since her civil rights have been broken. there needs to be something done about this right away." Rideout said.

FOX 2's Amy Lange spoke with Warren Police Commissioner Jere Green.

He says the family has yet to make a formal complaint, but he's reviewed the audio and video from the arrest and it doesn't reflect what the family says happened.

He's asking the Stokes family to come meet with him personally to discuss their concerns.