GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A family member of Honestie Hodges, the girl at the center of a Grand Rapids Police controversy that made national news three years ago, confirmed with Fox 17 that Honestie has died of COVID-19. She was 14 years old.
Hodges tested positive for COVID-19 almost two weeks ago,according to a GoFundMe page created by Alisa Niemeyer, Hodges' grandmother.
Honestie's name gained notoriety in 2017, when at the age of 11, she was handcuffed and held at gunpoint by Grand Rapids police officers at an active crime scene.
No officers involved in the incident were disciplined following an internal investigation, which found that no GRPD policies were violated.
The "Honestie Policy" was established following the initial 2017 incident, changing policy within the department regarding how to interact with children at crime scenes
Niemeyer wrote in the GoFundMe page that the page was set up to help Whitney Hodges, the mother of Honestie, pay for necessities such as food for her other children and gas.
"GRPD sends their condolences to the family," a spokesperson from the department said in a statement.
Spectrum Health officials have not yet responded for comment.
