The 11-year-old girl who made national headlines because she was handcuffed by police in her Michigan home in 2017 has died due to coronavirus complications.
Honestie Hodges, who celebrated her 14th birthday Nov. 9, was admitted to the hospital and tested positive for COVID-19. On Sunday, her grandmother announced that Hodges died as a result of complications of the virus.
On Dec. 6, 2017, Hodges stepped out the back door of her home to go to the store and was confronted by police with their guns drawn. They handcuffed her for several minutes after explaining that they were searching for a 40-year-old woman in connection with a stabbing.
None of the officers have been disciplined in the incident because they didn’t violate any departmental policies, according to former police chief David Rahinsky.
In 2018, the Grand Rapids Police Department adopted the “Honestie Policy,” which called for using the least restrictive options when dealing with youths.
When Hodges tested positive for COVID-19, her grandmother, Alisa Niemeyer, said she was “happy and healthy” with no underlying health issues.
Niemeyer, updated a GoFundMe page Sunday, writing “It is with an extremely heavy heart that I have to tell all of you that my beautiful, sassy, smart loving Granddaughter has gone home to be with Jesus.”