Jury Sees What it Wants: Video Taped Beating & Kicking of Black Man by Battle Creek Police Not Enough to Convict
Saturday, June 2, 2007 at 11:46PM 
BATTLE CREEK (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – Officer Ryan Lapratt lost his job after an incident back in December. Tuesday a jury found him not guilty of assault and battery.
African American community leaders are expressing their disappointment in the verdict and questioning whether justice has been done.
The incident was caught on a police cruiser dash-cam in Battle Creek.
Community leaders say the video speaks for itself and they say what happened to Dujuan Rose is assault. They're concerned that a Calhoun County jury disagreed.
"We are deeply disturbed by the outcome of the case," said Marvin Austin. Austin says anyone who's seen the video should be able to see it's assault.
It's a dash cam recording from last December when Battle Creek police officers Andrew Olsen and Ryan Lapratt pulled over Dujuan Rose. When Rose is already down on the ground Lapratt comes into frame kicking and punching.
"We are clear the the evidence of that video showed an assault that night by the police officer," said Austin.
Austin's concern, and that of a number of other community leaders, is that a Calhoun County jury did not find Ryan Lapratt guilty. He did lose his job as a Battle Creek police officer, but he was acquitted of all criminal charges.
"That was way over the line for the behavior we expect of our officers," said Chief David Headings.
"A kick to the head is a kick to the head. And you have to ask the question are there people in this community who think that is appropriate police action for anybody," asked Austin.
These leaders say they don't think this incident was racially motivated, but do believe justice hasn't been served.
"I hope the jury that did that, I hope they can sleep at night because they need to understand they spoke on behalf of a lot of people in this community," said Carl Word of the Urban League of Battle Creek.
Officer Lapratt has appealed to get his job back. [SEE VIDEO HERE]
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