5 Facing Felonies In Shelby Township Following Protest

(CBS DETROIT) – Scathing accusations are being made about the Shelby Township Police Department.

Officers are being accused of busting up a rally Saturday strip searching a woman and attacking protesters.

"As soon as we arrived there was a heavy police presence and a forceful police presence," said Nakia Wallace, Detroit Will Breathe.

Initially six people were arrested prompting additional protest on their behalf.

Protesters have been on the march for three days in Shelby Township and it all started from what is being called a peaceful protest that allegedly ended with excessive force and now demands are being made to drop all felony charges against the Shelby six.

Members from Detroit Will Breathe and the social justice group "shift" marched outside the Macomb County Administrative Building Monday following a weekend of protests against police brutality that started Saturday on 23 Mile Road Near Van Dyke.

"The Shelby six is because there were six that were originally still being held now that there's five being held they're the Shelby five and it's because they are still being detained. It's because they're facing the most serious charges which are the felonious charges," she said.

Shelby Township Police said in a release, protesters were warned to keep their march on the sidewalks but the group refused.

Police say a woman escaped her flex cuffs in the back of a patrol car and stripped her clothes off.

"She didn't. They did. It's on-camera. She was strip searched in the middle of the street by male officers and it's on-camera and that's a fact and it happened and the officers who participated in that should not only be fired but charges should be brought up against them," said Wallace.

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