Warren mayor calls arrest of Black Amazon driver 'outrageous and unacceptable'

A white Warren cop has been placed on administrative leave after arresting a young, Black Amazon driver who parked his van on the wrong side of the street Tuesday.

The arrest was captured on a live Facebook video, prompting outrage. Warren Mayor Jim Fouts called the arrest “outrageous and unacceptable” in a Facebook post he later deleted “at the request of the Warren Police Commissioner.”

“I have spoken with Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer and have ordered that this officer be terminated immediately,” Fouts wrote. “I have zero tolerance for this disgusting act against an innocent person. If the last two weeks have taught us anything, it is that bad behavior by ANY police officer will not be tolerated!”

Fouts added that he’s calling for the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office and U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate.

Police have launched an internal investigation to determine what happened and are expected to hold a news conference Wednesday. Police declined to comment on the arrest until then.

Neighbors and witnesses told Fox2 that that the delivery driver was polite.

Amazon released the following statement:

“We see what others see in this video, and it’s unacceptable. We expect a swift investigation and full accountability for those involved. Amazon will deploy all necessary resources to investigate the matter with our Delivery Service Provider, as well as to represent and support the driver."

Stay on top of Detroit news and views. Sign up for our weekly issue newsletter delivered each Wednesday.