A South Haven resident is speaking out after witnessing what they describe as racially motivated policing at North Beach.
The eyewitness, who recorded video at the scene, says a group of Black teenagers was forced to leave the beach by officers despite behaving peacefully, while white beachgoers in other areas faced no such action.
The incident reportedly took place around 6:15 PM on a recent evening. According to the witness, three police cars and a PAW Patrol ATV unit responded to North Beach in what appeared to be a heavy show of force.
The witness observed the teenagers for 30 to 45 minutes and described their behavior as normal. No loud music. No fighting. Just kids enjoying a summer evening on Lake Michigan.
An officer approached the group on foot while ATV units moved closer. Police reportedly told the teenagers they had to leave because they were play-fighting.
The kids complied without incident, walking off the beach calmly and respectfully without any protest or confrontation.
A Tale of Two Beaches
The witness drew a sharp contrast between how the situation was handled and the behavior witnessed on South Beach.
According to the post, individuals on South Beach were seen doing burnouts and hanging out of cars with no police response or consequences.
The witness pointed out the racial difference between those two groups and questioned why the same level of enforcement was not applied equally.
South Haven has long had an informal divide between its two main beaches. North Beach is generally associated with quieter, wealthier visitors, while South Beach draws a younger and more diverse crowd.
The witness described this dynamic bluntly, saying North Beach is treated as a space where people under 80 are not welcome if they want to have fun.
The Community Reacts
The post quickly drew responses from South Haven residents and visitors, with opinions split sharply down the middle.
Cindy Himmelein Pyle wrote,
“We need to remember racism is everywhere and do everything in our power to call it out every time we see it.”
Ethan Pulka pushed back, saying,
“If we are going to discuss incidents in our community, we must prioritize facts over emotional assumptions. Making accusations without proof diminishes actual cases of racism.”
Denise Cleary Dunayczan added,
“Definitely call it out every time you have proof that it happened. Making assumptions and then making a judgment based on those assumptions is not the right approach either.”
Nathan Miller brought up a previous incident, referencing a Fourth of July situation from a few years ago that resulted in fireworks being cancelled the following year, suggesting the community has a history of tensions around beach behavior and crowd management.
Al Zooks responded to Ethan Pulka, saying,
“They are not going to like the facts you posted,” suggesting some residents feel the conversation around race shuts down honest discussion.
The original poster made clear that whatever policing decisions were made that evening, the teenagers themselves did nothing to deserve the treatment they received. In their words, it is 2026, and this should not still be a conversation happening in American communities.
The South Haven Police Department has not issued a public statement regarding the incident.
