WARREN, Mich. (WXYZ) — Lawrence Newsom, 35, says he was tased while still in motion during a chase. Warren police say the officer believed Newsom's feet were on the ground at the time.
The Detroit man is speaking out after dash camera footage captured a Warren police officer deploying a Taser at him while he was still moving on a minibike — raising questions about whether department policy was violated and whether the incident could prompt a review of use-of-force guidelines.
Watch Faraz Javed's video report below:
The incident happened on Sept. 27, 2025, around 1:17 a.m. on Outer Drive near 7 Mile in Detroit. Dashcam footage shows Warren police first making contact with Newsom on his minibike before a chase, lasting nearly eight minutes.
Newsom said he had just finished building the bike for someone and was testing it out when officers approached.
"I was riding on my bike on the southbound side of 8 Mile," Newsom told me at the scene where the Taser was deployed.
Newsom retraced the moments leading up to the incident. He said fear drove his decision not to stop.
"Initially, I was just fearful for my life. I was just minding my business, and the next thing you know, I had police officers trying to run me off the sidewalk," Newsom said.
Warren Police Lt. John Gajewski said a pursuit was initiated after Newsom refused to stop, noting that riding a minibike on the sidewalk is prohibited and that Newsom did not have a valid driver's license.
Warren police say Newsom's license was suspended due to seven prior traffic warrants. Following this incident, his license was revoked.
Watch the bodycam video below:
Dashcam footage shows an officer jumping out of a patrol car and deploying a Taser as Newsom's minibike skids — while Newsom was still in motion. Body camera audio captures the officer claiming Newsom was not moving at the time the Taser was used.
"He was stopped. I tried to tase him and he was taking," the officer said on bodycam.
"As soon as he drove away, I stopped."
But the dashcam footage contradicts that account, appearing to show the officer firing while Newsom accelerates.
Newsom said at least one Taser prong made contact.
"They had to cut the sleeve on this side to remove a taser prong," Newsom said. "The one that went underneath my arm here did."
Community activist Oliver Gantt said the use of the Taser on a moving subject violates established guidelines.
"Officers are bound to not deploy their tasers to anything moving," Gantt said.
Gantt drew a comparison to the 2017 death of Damon Grimes, a 15-year-old Detroit boy who died after a Michigan State Trooper tased him while he was riding an ATV, causing a fatal crash. The trooper, Mark Bessner, was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving 15 years in prison.
"It is egregious to me because it's similar to Damon Grimes' case," Gantt said. "The only difference is Damon Grimes is deceased, and this young man is alive after being tased."
Watch our previous coverage on the Damon Grimes' case below:
Gantt said he is calling for accountability.
"I'm looking for accountability because they knew that they shouldn't have fired that taser at a moving target. They know that's against the law," Gantt said.
Gantt also noted the number of times officers attempted to deploy the Taser.
"That minibike never stopped, but this young man was still shot at eight times," Gantt said.
Gajewski defended the officer's judgment, citing the conditions at the time of the incident.
"So obviously, the officer's assessment at the time was that Mr. Newsom's feet were on the ground and that because of that, he felt the use of the taser was appropriate to incapacitate him to prevent a pursuit from continuing. And again, we're talking about, it's 1 a.m. — it's dark. This is a high stress fluid environment. We have Mr. Newsom, who's ignored multiple commands to stop," Gajewski said.
When asked whether the incident could lead to a policy review, Gajewski left the door open.
"And that's a great question, right? Because obviously, you know, real life doesn't happen in a frame-by-frame analysis, right? We're always looking around here to improve our tactics and our approach. If he would have pulled over, cooperated with the officers, maybe you get a ticket, maybe you do end up going to jail, but it's only for a misdemeanor, not a felony, which could have far lasting consequences for his future," Gajewski said.
Newsom was charged with two felonies — fleeing police and resisting arrest — as well as a misdemeanor for driving with a suspended license. Court records show Newsom pleaded guilty to fleeing.
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