James Craig

Chief James Craig Retirement Announcment-6955

Detroit Will Breathe Protests: Excessive Force and Civil Rights Violations Under Craig's Command

Summary: In summer 2020 following George Floyd's murder, Detroit Will Breathe organized protests against police brutality that were met with controversial tactics by the Detroit Police Department under Chief James Craig, including tear gas, rubber bullets, and mass arrests.

Details

In the summer of 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, Detroit, like many cities across the United States, saw widespread protests against police brutality organized by Detroit Will Breathe (DWB). Multiple documented incidents revealed concerning patterns in the police response supervised by Chief Craig, including officers driving SUVs into marchers, an officer placing a protest co-founder in a chokehold, and a clash resulting in 42 arrests and serious injuries including a medic with a broken rib and punctured lung.

• On June 28, 2020, DPD officers drove SUVs into marchers, with one protester being dragged for nearly a block on a police vehicle's hood.
• On July 10, 2020, a Detroit police officer was photographed placing Detroit Will Breathe co-founder Nakia Wallace in a chokehold, creating a viral image that sparked outrage.
• On August 22, 2020, officers clashed with what activists described as a "non-confrontational, even festive" demonstration, resulting in 42 arrests and multiple injuries, including a medic who suffered a broken rib and punctured lung.

Craig's Mischaracterization and Attempts to Spread Far-Right Wing Conspiracy Theories

Rather than address concerns about police conduct, Chief Craig consistently defended his officers' actions, claiming they "executed with precision" and brought "successful closure to those events." Craig made inflammatory statements without evidence, including:

• False equivalency claims suggesting protesters intended to "occupy" downtown Detroit similar to Seattle's Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, stating, "I am not going to let any group set up a Seattle zone of lawlessness here in the city of Detroit, that's non-negotiable." Protest leaders directly contradicted this narrative, with Tristan Taylor noting protesters "had not even a sleeping bag" and that comparing Detroit protests to Seattle was "ridiculous."
• Repeated conspiracy theories on Fox News appearances, claiming the nationwide protest movement was "coordinated," "planned," and "financed" by "a Marxist ideology" trying to "undermine our government as we know it," while admitting he had "no hard evidence" for these assertions.
• When Craig announced his candidacy for governor at Belle Isle on September 14, 2021, Detroit Will Breathe protesters disrupted the event with airhorns and chants. Instead of addressing their substantive concerns, Craig doubled down on his unsubstantiated conspiracies, stating, "I feel like they were paid. I don't have any hard evidence. But I feel like they were paid."

Court Confirms Civil Rights Violations and Restricts Police Actions

On August 31, 2020, Detroit Will Breathe and 14 individual plaintiffs filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Detroit, Mayor Mike Duggan, Police Chief James Craig, and individual officers, alleging police brutality and First Amendment rights violations. The lawsuit detailed how protesters were "tear-gassed, pepper-sprayed, beaten and otherwise subjected to unconstitutional excessive force, shot with rubber bullets, blasted with deafening and disorienting sound cannons and flash grenades, put in chokeholds, cordoned off in small groups ('kettled'), and arrested en masse without probable cause."

In a validation of protesters' claims and rebuke to Craig's leadership, U.S. District Judge Laurie Michelson granted a temporary restraining order, later converted to injunctive relief, restricting DPD from using chemical agents, batons, and rubber bullets against anyone "who does not pose a physical threat to the safety of the public or police."

Million-Dollar Settlement Validates Protesters' Claims

On July 27, 2022, the Detroit City Council authorized settling the lawsuit with Detroit Will Breathe for just over $1 million, effectively acknowledging the merits of protesters' claims.

Former Chief Craig, who had by then retired from DPD and was running as a Republican gubernatorial candidate, continued to deny responsibility, calling the settlement "shameful" and maintaining that officers had "used only the force necessary."

The City's Retaliatory Countersuit

Summary: In what civil liberties experts called an unprecedented move, the City of Detroit filed a countersuit against Detroit Will Breathe and individual plaintiffs, attempting to hold peaceful protesters liable for injuries allegedly suffered by police, spending $200,000 in taxpayer money despite opposition from the Internal Operations Standing Committee and public commenters.

Details

In what civil liberties experts called an unprecedented move, the City of Detroit filed a countersuit against Detroit Will Breathe and the individual plaintiffs, attempting to hold peaceful protesters civilly liable for injuries allegedly suffered by police officers at the hands of others.

Despite strong opposition from the Internal Operations Standing Committee, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, and 40 public comments against it, the Detroit City Council approved $200,000 of taxpayer money to hire a private law firm (Clark Hill PLC) to pursue this controversial counterclaim.

The counterclaim was ultimately dismissed by a federal judge, highlighting what critics called the city's "legally unsound" and "morally bankrupt" litigation tactics. By 2021, the city had wasted at least $350,000 in public funds on outside legal representation to defend against the legitimate Detroit Will Breathe lawsuit.

Relationship with Donald Trump

Summary: James Craig has maintained a supportive relationship with Donald Trump throughout his political career, publicly endorsing Trump's 2024 presidential bid, promoting Trump's appeal to Black voters, adopting similar rhetoric on border security and immigration, and positioning himself as a Trump-aligned political outsider.

Details

James Craig has maintained a supportive relationship with former President Donald Trump throughout his political career, aligning himself with Trump's policies and positions despite some complications in their association.

Endorsement of Trump

In September 2023, prior to officially announcing his U.S. Senate candidacy, Craig publicly endorsed Trump's 2024 presidential bid in an opinion piece published in the Daily Caller. In the endorsement, Craig wrote: "President Trump needs to win this election, and while in Washington again he is going to need other leaders supporting him who are unafraid of these problems Biden has created, leaders ready and eager to work towards tackling the issues confronting America."

When asked about his endorsement of Trump, Craig stated that he "simply believes Trump's policies were working" and that was the basis for his support, not necessarily in hopes that Trump would reciprocate with an endorsement of Craig's Senate campaign. However, Craig did acknowledge, "If he makes the decision to endorse me, certainly I will accept it."

Promoting Trump's appeal to Black voters

In November 2023, Craig published an opinion piece arguing that Black voters were increasingly supporting Trump and would help him win Michigan in 2024. Craig cited polling data from The New York Times and Siena College that found 22% of Black voters in six battleground states said they would support Trump in the 2024 election, a significant increase from the 8% of Black voters Trump won nationally in 2020 and 6% in 2016.

In this piece, Craig positioned himself as an "America first" Republican committed to bringing Trump's principles and vision to Congress, writing: "In this moment of transformation, I have chosen to run for United States Senate as an 'America first' Republican to take the principles and vision of former President Trump to the halls of Congress. His leadership was characterized by putting America and its citizens first, and I intend to carry that legacy forward."

Border security and immigration rhetoric

During his brief Senate campaign, Craig adopted rhetoric similar to Trump's regarding immigration and border security. In April 2024, following Trump's campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Trump focused heavily on border security, Craig participated in the event as one of the local officials supporting Trump.

At this event, Trump called for "the largest deportation effort in the history of the nation" and described the increase in border crossings as "country changing" and "country threatening." Craig, who was present at the event, has consistently emphasized border security as one of his top priorities during his political campaigns.

Political identity as a Trump-aligned outsider

Throughout his political career, Craig has positioned himself as a Trump-friendly political outsider. In launching his Senate campaign, he explicitly framed himself as a "passionate public servant and Trump-friendly outsider in a field of 'establishment' types." This positioning aligned with Trump's own anti-establishment messaging and appeal.

Despite Craig's strong public support for Trump, there is no record of Trump formally endorsing Craig's political campaigns for either governor or U.S. Senate before they ended.