Honestie Hodges, the young girl whose violent encounter with police went viral on social media, has passed away at 14 after battling COVID-19.
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The 14-year-old passed away on Sunday due to complications from COVID-19. According to MSN, Honestie was experiencing intense stomach pains on Nov. 9, which was also her 14th birthday. The teen was transported to the ICU at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids for treatment and received blood transfusions within the past few days. Before her sudden passing, she was placed on a ventilator last week.
Her grandmother, Alisa Niemeyer, said Honestie did not have any underlying health issues and was known as a “happy” and “healthy” girl.
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Honestie became the face of police reform in December 2017 after bodycam footage of her violent arrest went viral. She was 11 at the time and officers forced both of her arms behind her back then arrested her as she screamed “No! No! No!” The officers involved claimed they were looking for a woman involved in a stabbing but the incident sparked national outrage. It caused Grand Rapids police to change their policies regarding restraining minors during an arrest.
Niemeyer says the public should take the virus seriously and hopes Honestie’s story will serve as a warning.
“I know there are people out there that just don’t want to take it seriously and they don’t want the government telling them what they can and can’t do. I do understand that, but at the end of the day this is real, real thing.”