Once Cops Spot This Man’s Halloween Decoration, They Forced Him To Take It Down

The fall season kicks off with Halloween and many homeowners embrace the holiday with a multitude of spooky and fun decorations. One Lansing, Illinois homeowner, however, has been asked to remove a tasteless Halloween decoration hanging from her front yard. It wasn’t because it was too scary for children in the neighborhood — it was because it was very offensive.

The homeowner had hung a black mannequin from a tree with his hands and ankles tied.

The decoration was spotted by a neighbor, Toya Griffin, who said she was on the phone with her 15-year-old daughter who happened upon the disturbing sight. Toya explained to Yahoo Lifestyle: “My daughter suddenly said, ‘Oh, my god,’ and tried to explain what she saw.”

Toya’s daughter, a sophomore at Thornton Fractional South High School, told her mother that it was a mannequin hanging from a tree near the sidewalk. The house was otherwise decorated for Halloween, but this seemed in especially bad taste.

Toya contacted the Lansing Police Department with an officer arriving at the scene to check the situation out. When the police department returned Toya’s call, she was told that the officer “doesn’t see anything wrong with it.”

Toya’s sister and a group of neighbors gathered at the tree and filmed a Facebook Live video. Toya explained: “The owner came outside, and my sister asked her, ‘Do you see anything wrong with this?’ She refused to take it down and said, ‘I have friends who are black.’”

Police came a second time and were told that the mannequin had a Jason mask on before “somebody stole it.”

The Lansing Police Department issued the following press release on the matter:

“On September 26, 2018 the Lansing Police Department received a complaint, in reference to what was being described as an offensive Halloween decoration, in the area of the 3300 block of N. Schultz Drive. The caller advised that there was a mannequin hanging from one of the trees. Officers arrived in the area and located the mannequin hanging suspended from the tree with a rope. Upon speaking with the homeowner, it was learned that the mannequin originally was a Halloween decoration that had a scary ‘Jason style’ mask over the head, which had recently been stolen.”

The statement further explained: “Once the mask was removed, all that remained on the head was a plain black plastic bag. It was verified with several neighbors that the mannequin originally had on a Halloween mask. The Halloween decoration has since been taken down. Pictures of the mannequin have been circulated through social media. Our investigation into this incident revealed no malicious intent and that this was simply a Halloween decoration that had been vandalized.”

The school district sent an email to parents about the Halloween decoration, calling it “disturbing” and offering counseling to any students in need.

Toya’s daughter is still upset over the matter and will “be taking a different route” to avoid the area. She added, “It took three phone calls, a crowd of neighbors, and a Facebook Live video before this was removed.”

Toya further shared her concerns over the matter, saying: “The police are supposed to represent the best interests of the community — which consists largely of African-Americans whose ancestors have a history of being lynched. Slavery and racism affect people every day.”