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Grand Rapids Police: Man urinated on black girl, called her racial slur

Posted at 3:06 AM, Aug 23, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-24 19:33:43-04

UPDATE – Police and prosecutors have determined that the incident of the man who urinated on a 5-year-old child was fabricated by the children and no charges are being filed.

To read the latest on this story, click here.

*****Original Story Below*****

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. —  A man has been arrested after police say he urinated on a 5-year-old black girl in an alley and called her a racial slur.

Police were called to a home in Grand Rapids just after 6 p.m. on Wednesday because a couple called saying that an older white man urinated on their 5-year-old daughter.

The alleged incident happened in an alley behind the 1000 block of Leonard Street near Tamarack Avenue.

Police say another 5-year-old and two 7-year-old children witnessed what happened and told them that the suspect called the little girl the N-word.  Katrena Rapier, the mother of the three children who were playing with the girl, says all four children ran back to her home after the incident to tell her what happened.

“She came in the house and she was wet, like soaking wet, and I’m asking her what happened but she was afraid to tell me because she thought she was going to get in trouble,” she said. “And then I called my boys because I knew they’d tell me and then they said the guy said ‘stupid N-word’ and started peeing on her.”

All of the children provided a description of the suspect, and police eventually arrested him.  The Kent County Prosecutor’s Office says it will review the case for possible charges once the investigation is complete.

Authorities are now working on getting the children counseling.

The Associated Press contributed to this report