by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors
February 1, 2026
Grand Rapids has agreed to pay $285,000 to the family of Honestie Hodges.
By Robert Hill
The city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has agreed to pay $285,000 to the family of Honestie Hodges, an 11-year-old Black girl who was held at gunpoint by police.
In Dec. 2017, Hodges, who was 11 years old at the time, was handcuffed, held at gunpoint, and placed in a police cruiser outside of her home by police officers. The officers were allegedly searching for Hodges’ aunt, who was involved in a domestic assault.
Hodges later passed away in November 2020 at the age of 14 due to complications from COVID-19.
In Nov. 2023, Whitney Hodges, Honestie’s mother, filed a lawsuit against the city and the three Grand Rapids police officers involved in the incident.
Within the lawsuit, the family alleged that officers violated Hodges’ constitutional rights by detaining her at gunpoint without justification. The lawsuit also stated that she was the victim of unreasonable search and seizure, false arrest, excessive force, assault and battery, and negligence.
Because officers were required to wear body cameras, video of the encounter later circulated publicly, and the footage garnered national attention and sparked criticism of police conduct involving minors.
During the encounter, Honestie could be heard pleading with officers to stop. The Guardian reported, “Police body camera footage from the incident showed Honestie crying and screaming, ‘No, please,’ as officers handcuffed her.” The officers involved were not disciplined because they were found not to have violated any department policies.
However, Hodges’ legal team emphasized that the encounter caused emotional trauma and raised concerns about the treatment of children during police operations.
As a result of an internal investigation conducted in 2017, the Grand Rapids Police Department implemented the Honestie Policy, which was revised to provide more straightforward guidelines for handcuffing and detaining youth.
Although the city has agreed to the settlement, the $285,000 payment must still be approved in court.
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