Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Civilian Appeals Board affirms Internal Affairs’ 'not sustained' findings in March 2025 traffic-stop appeal
Summary
The Civilian Appeals Board on Jan. 21, 2026 affirmed Internal Affairs’ finding that allegations of racial profiling and an improper search in a March 27, 2025 traffic stop were not sustained, after hours of testimony and questioning of GRPD investigators and legal staff.
The Civilian Appeals Board affirmed Internal Affairs’ determination that the allegations against Officer Siddharth Manava were not sustained, concluding there was insufficient evidence in the record to overturn the internal investigation’s disposition.
The board heard a detailed summary from an Office of Police Accountability representative who said that on March 27, 2025 the complainant—recorded in OPA materials as Jerome Bridal and who later spoke at public comment identifying himself as "Bird"—asserted three allegations: racial profiling and harassment, an illegal search without consent or probable cause, and discourteous, unprofessional treatment. "On 03/27/2025, Mister Jerome Bridal alleged he was stopped by officer Siddarth Manava while parked near Sheldon Avenue and Oak Street Southeast in Grand Rapids," the OPA representative told the board during the hearing.
GRPD investigators described the department’s review of body-worn camera, dash camera…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
