Inspector: Officer’s brief exchange with resident did not rise to policy violation; board to deliberate

An inspector told a Kalamazoo City board reviewing police conduct that the unprofessionalism allegation against PSO Piazo Harris arising from a July 2024 Vine Street incident did not meet the threshold for a policy violation, but the board moved into closed session to deliberate and will forward a recommendation to the city manager.

Inspector Mason, who presented video and investigatory material during the public hearing, said the interaction included "nearly 20 minutes of confrontational behavior and insults" from resident Rodney Gillum and family members while officers attempted to separate parties and investigate. "It was found that that, alleged act did not occur," Mason said, summarizing the Office of Professional Standards' conclusion about the specific allegation against Harris.

The videos shown to the board included footage of Gillum and family members confronting officers on a residential porch…