A peaceful park gathering turned into a police standoff
More than a dozen Kalamazoo residents filled the seats of city hall on Monday night to demand answers after police dispersed a community gathering at Spring Valley Park using loudspeaker warnings and visible pepper spray.
The incident happened on Sunday, June 28, during an event called Sunday Funday. Videos circulating on social media show a Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety cruiser announcing the gathering had been deemed a nuisance party. An officer warned from the loudspeaker that police would make arrests, tow vehicles, and use force or chemical irritants against those who did not leave.
"You don't know I'm a business owner. You don't know I'm a father. You don't know but you know that I'm Black and that, when there's 200 of us, that is looked at as dangerous. And to me that's dangerous," said Antwan Nix during public comment at the commission meeting.
Vice Mayor blasts police tactics
Vice Mayor Drew Duncan condemned the response and said officers violated department policy.
"What on earth would make an officer think an elders and youths playing in the park would need the response of tear gas brandished at children while they are two feet away? We violated our own policy, right there, in writing," Duncan said.
Duncan called for changes to the mobile nuisance party ordinance. He also demanded the elimination of any license plate records captured during the park incident. He criticized a meeting held between police, city staff, and event organizers after the incident as a secret gathering that excluded other city leaders.
Police say a small group provoked the response
KDPS Deputy Chief Matt Huber released a statement saying officers responded to noise complaints and saw several park rule violations. He said tensions rose when a small group became confrontational.
"The incident was not the result of the crowd as a whole, but rather a small group of individuals who repeatedly refused officers' requests to lower the volume of loud music and comply with park rules," Huber said in an email to MLive.
Huber said supervisors made the decision to close the 186-acre park early to ensure public safety. He said the gathering dispersed without arrests, injuries, or the use of force.
"We recognize that some individuals who were present, as well as others who viewed videos of the incident online, were unsettled by what they saw. We understand those concerns and believe they deserve to be acknowledged," Huber said.
Residents say the ordinance targets Black communities
People who spoke at the commission meeting said the mobile nuisance ordinance is applied too broadly and disproportionately affects gatherings of Black residents. The ordinance was strengthened in 2025 to allow KDPS to tow vehicles after events if warnings are ignored.
"It's important to acknowledge there were hundreds of seniors, youth, men and women on June 28th. Myself and my grandchildren included. I'm extremely concerned about the long-term effects that the actions and behaviors displayed on June 28 will have," said Gwendolyn Hooker.
"Nothing felt in alignment with that code which required to do like a security securing of things. Again, myself and my daughter were here. She's 14 and she's never experienced something like that with the police," said Tara Maven.
Commissioners call for new approach
Commissioner Alonzo Wilson said he attended a meeting between organizers and KDPS during his first ride-along with the department. He said participants stayed at the table and focused on how the event can continue safely moving forward.
Commissioner Jacqueline Slaby questioned whether police should be the first responders to park gatherings. She suggested training parks and recreation staff in de-escalation and customer service to handle situations that do not require law enforcement.
"This was a public park. We have a parks and recs department. I know this was a Sunday, but I think we should discuss how we are training our city staff across the organization to be able to address situations that law enforcement do not need to respond to," Slaby said.
A pattern of force at Kalamazoo parties
The Spring Valley Park incident follows a weekend in mid-June when KDPS used pepper spray at multiple gatherings. According to MLive, officers busted seven mobile nuisance parties on the night of Saturday, June 20. Police made four arrests and impounded six vehicles.
One arrest involved an 18-year-old charged with illegal possession of a firearm at a liquor store parking lot. Another involved a 36-year-old woman arrested after throwing alcohol on officers. A 32-year-old man was arrested on charges including fleeing and eluding after striking a motorcycle while trying to flee police.
Videos from those incidents also circulated online. One video titled "Kzoo Pd Gotta be stopped" shows a person getting pepper sprayed while filming an officer.
"It looked more like a detached, force-forward response," said photographer Remius Jones, who documented the June 20 enforcement actions.
KDPS said all use-of-force incidents are reviewed in accordance with department policy. The department's posted policy states that pepper spray has application where a subject's actions constitute active resistance or active aggression.
KDPS Chief David Boysen did not grant an interview for this story. News 8 submitted questions to the department via email late Monday night.
"We remain committed to working with our community to ensure Spring Valley Park continues to be a place where people feel welcome to gather, celebrate, and connect safely," Huber said.