GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The city of Grand Rapids has filed court documents seeking to have a lawsuit filed by the family of Honestie Hodges dismissed.
Honestie's name gained notoriety in 2017 when at the age of 11, she was handcuffed and held at gunpoint by Grand Rapids police officers at an active crime scene.
No officers involved in the incident were disciplined following an internal investigation, which found that no GRPD policies were violated.
The "Honestie Policy" was established following the initial 2017 incident, changing policy within the department regarding how to interact with children at crime scenes.
Family announced in November 2020 that the young girl had died due to COVID-19 complications.
Honestie's mom, Whitney Hodges, filed a lawsuit against the city of Grand Rapids and three police officers, arguing they deprived her daughter of her constitutional rights.
Attorneys for the city filed a motion on Feb. 5 to have the suit against them dismissed.
"No one doubts that Honestie Hodges was frightened by the situation she suddenly found herself in, or that her mother Whitney Hodges was frightened for her daughter and confused by what was happening," attorneys representing the city of Grand Rapids say. "Nonetheless, under the the totality of the circumstances as pled in the complaint, and as shown by the relevant body-worn camera footage, these defendants are entitled to dismissal as a matter of law."
