"We have had a historical challenge in our community," said Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Grigsby prior to approving the revisions. "(We) have a unique situation where we have an opportunity to have a positive impact."

The policies detail how ELPD can de-escalate encounters with "vulnerable persons," such as children and people suffering from mental and physical disabilities, by urging officers to avoid using threatening language.

But for some, the revisions come too late. Critics gathered at Hannah Community Center to voice their grievances with the arrest of Myana Collins, 20, and the failure to release body-worn camera footage of the incident. 

Collins was arrested outside of Harper’s Restaurant and Brew Pub in the early morning hours of Aug. 2. Collins was punched several times by a police officer while lying face down on the ground, handcuffed and restrained at the legs, as seen in a video circulated on social media. 

ELPD said they will not release the body-worn camera footage to prevent "jeopardizing the legal process.”  

The arrest has reignited community outrage over ELPD’s use-of-force policy, following the fatal officer-involved shooting of MSU senior Isaiah Kirby in April and a misuse-of-force incident against two Black men during MSU’s Welcome Week last year. 

Among the critics were Kirby's parents. Kirby, who was suspected of stabbing a man, was shot 17 times by ELPD officers. After his death, ELPD released narrated body-worn camera footage of the officer-involved shooting. 

“My child is dead, police officers killed him, and I was being shown someone else’s presentation of his final moments rather than simply being allowed to see the evidence for myself,” said Karyn Kirby, mother of Isaiah Kirby, at the council meeting on Tuesday. 

A month after Isaiah Kirby's death, raw footage of the incident was shared with the family — although Karyn Kirby criticized ELPD's hesitancy amid mounting public pressure to release the footage.

“Transparency that must be dragged by force out of the government agency is not transparency; it’s disclosure under pressure,” she said. 

Dontae Kimbrough, father of Isaiah Kirby, urged council members to put themselves “in our shoes.” 

“I ain’t talking about nothing Black and White," Kimbrough said. "Just talking about being human and empathetic and having sympathy."

Calls for Brown's removal have been ongoing since last fall, after City Council approved changes curbing the powers of ELIPOC amid fallout from Welcome Week use-of-force incidents. 

“The entire process felt like a box to be checked,” said Kath Edsall, who is vice chair of ELIPOC but spoke in her individual capacity. “There was no buy-in to the concept of real de-escalation on behalf of the chief or her command staff. … The chief needs to go or none of this matters.” 

East Lansing resident Nazita Lajevardi also denounced Brown's leadership during public comment, referring to a 2025 use-of-force report given to ELIPOC by Adrian College professor Cedrick G. Heraux.  

ELPD used force 774 times in 2025 — nearly double the amount from the year before — with Black people making up 54% of those subjected to force, according to the report. The report accounted for resistance and found “no statistically significant difference” between Black and White residents, yet “the odds of more severe force are about 2.7 times higher for Black subjects,” Lajevardi said. 

Karyn Kirby referenced the same report, saying to the council: “Black people, 173% more than white people, experienced more severe levels of force. Those are not numbers I created. That’s your stuff.”  

Lieutenant Chad Stemen spoke on behalf of Brown, who did not attend the council meeting, affirming Brown’s support of both the revised de-escalation and use-of-force policies, although the police chief has yet to sign her approval.