Kent County resident urges review of police response after son's arrest, says crisis unit was not used

Marissa Beatty of Kentwood told the Kent County Board of Commissioners on June 26 that her son, Christian Beatty, was arrested by the Wyoming Police Department after an incident at a gas station and held more than 36 hours in the Kent County Jail without being taken to a crisis stabilization unit.

Beatty said her son, a 2025 Michigan State University graduate with a degree in neurosciences, was accosted at a gas station and asked the police for help. She described injuries he sustained while in custody — an ankle sprain, a wrist sprain and contusions along his thighs — and said one of the family vehicles was towed from the scene. She said he was charged with being a disorderly person in trespass.

When she asked the on-scene supervisor whether officers recognized he was having a mental-health episode, Beatty said the supervisor told her, “I knew something was going on but we couldn't calm him down,” and that officers told her they were not obligated to take him to a crisis stabilization unit or notify family. Beatty said the family is seeking legal counsel and asked county commissioners to "take the accountability within your purview to ensure that your police officers and police departments are utilizing the resources to the community." She also asked county representatives to ask Wyoming officials about the incident.

Chair Green thanked Beatty for bringing the matter to the board’s attention; the transcript records no formal board action or directive beyond acknowledgment. The transcript does not include a response from the Wyoming Police Department, a timeline for any county follow-up, or records of subsequent administrative action.