Special meeting will be held to present investigation findings of Kalamazoo police responses in 2020 – MLive.com

KALAMAZOO, MI The city of Kalamazoo says a special meeting will be held for a public presentation about the findings of a third-party investigation of Kalamazoo police activities of the summer of 2020, including officers use of force, which was criticized.

The city of Kalamazoo expects to receive the final report in August that will be released to the public soon after receipt, Kalamazoo Public Information Officer Ryan Bridges told MLive on Friday, July 23.

The OIR Group is planning to publicly present its findings during a special public meeting in the days following, Bridges said. The city is following OIR Groups standard protocol for public dissemination, he said.

The City would be the entity releasing the report, Michael Gennaco of OIR Group said on July 23 when asked if the company planned to post the report on its website upon its release.

We are currently dialoguing with the city to work out the specifics of when/how the report is to be released, Gennaco said on July 23.

Bridges said previously, on July 12, that the report would be presented to city administration before it is presented to the public. He did not immediately answer a follow-up question on July 23 asking if that was still the case.

City staff planned to speak with members of the OIR Group last week to discuss the process for releasing the report, Bridges said.

The contract cost with OIR Group remained within the original amount approved by city manager Jim Ritsema, of $75,000, Bridges said. The money came from the citys general fund, he said.

OIR Group was hired to provide a third-party account of police actions during events of 2020.

The summer saw police coming out in large numbers during Black Lives Matter marches in May and June, and resulted in criticism of how the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety handled the response.

In August, police faced more criticism for tactics employed during a visit from the Proud Boys. Officers arrived only after violence had erupted twice, arresting citizens including a reporter and a legal observer, while allowing the Proud Boys to leave the area in their vehicles.

Kurt Lewis was beaten in an altercation with Proud Boys in Kalamazoo on Saturday, Aug. 15.

Citizens demanded answers after the events.

Gennaco previously described the report his team is creating as an unvarnished account of what happened during those summer 2020 incidents.

Related: Army veteran says Proud Boys broke his nose and hand in Kalamazoo

OIR Group held several virtual listening sessions, including some focused on interviewing youth, and asked for people to call in to share their thoughts about the events that occurred in May, June and August 2020. The company also interviewed people and compile and analyzed materials such as videos, emails and evidence from the events.

The Kalamazoo City Commission continues to meet virtually and has not taken action to return to in-person meetings, though city staff has presented recommendations to return to physical meetings.

Read more:

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Independent review of Kalamazoo police actions will be presented to city administration first, then the public

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B-29 Superfortress bomber lands in Kalamazoo for a weekend of aviation history

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Special meeting will be held to present investigation findings of Kalamazoo police responses in 2020 - MLive.com