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K’brianna Griffin: 12-Year-Old Detroit Girl Killed After Being Electrocuted By Downed Power Line

By Angelica N. Sumter
Published on: 16:11 PST, Sep 8, 2016

A 12-year-old girl, K’brianna Griffin, from Detroit, Michigan, was tragically killed Wednesday night after being electrocuted by a downed power line, according to the WXYZ Detroit.

At around 8 p.m. on September 7, Griffin was visiting her 14-year-old friend, Nautica Holmes, at a home in the 16700 block of St. Mary’s Street near Grove Street when the pair decided to run to the back of the house to record each other dancing.

Holmes stated that as Griffin was in the midst of her performance, she backed into the “low-hanging” power line, getting her arm caught, and was electrocuted.

Holmes told reporters that she and her friend “didn’t even know it was back there, we just didn’t know.”

Emergency responders were called to the scene, but there was nothing they could do.

Paramedics pronounced the sixth-grader dead at the scene.

The victim’s relatives and local residents were outraged after learning that a downed power line was the cause of Griffin’s death, and they are now seeking answers.

However, the local medical examiner’s office ruled the incident an “accidental death by electrocution.”

According to neighbors, the power line had been down for several months and they had made several calls to have it fixed but it was to no avail.

Neighbor Charles Hicks told reporters that the power line has “been roped off over a month and a half. They had yellow tape up here blocking the alley off. It takes for a young girl to get killed for them to come out and fix the wire.”

Another neighbor, Kristin Prince, stated that after the girl was electrocuted, everyone lost power. Initially, they thought a house was on fire but as the night ensued, they uncovered the tragic story of a young girl losing her life over a neglected power line.

DTE Energy has been made aware of the recent electrocution death but has released a statement stating that there is nothing they could have done as the low-hanging power line belongs to the City’s Public Lighting Department, according to Fox 2 Detroit.

The Public Lighting Department and DTE Energy has issued a joint statement following the electrocution incident, which stated as follows: “Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of this young girl during this very difficult time.”

“DTE and the City’s Public Lighting Department (PLD), along with first responders, are diligently working together to factually understand how this tragic event occurred. This remains an active, complicated investigation, and we do not want to speculate on what occurred. It doesn’t matter whose line it is, it is about understanding what happened.

“Public safety is the number one priority for both DTE and the City. We are all committed to taking steps to ensure the safe operation of our electrical systems.

“We want to take this opportunity to remind the public to stay at least 20 feet away from all power lines and anything the lines may be in contact with. These lines should be considered ‘live’ and extremely dangerous. The public should also heed the warning of yellow caution tape, which indicates there is a downed power line in the area. DO NOT CROSS YELLOW CAUTION TAPE.”

Captain Mark Thornton, who was at the scene, told reporters that the incident was extremely rare and that in 30 years with the Detroit Police Department, he has never “encountered a situation where a young child” was killed after being electrocuted.

The victim’s heartbroken father, Kendrick Griffin, also spoke with reporters and said that his daughter was a fun-loving and beautiful kid. He went on to say that “it’s a shame that this happened” and added that the poignant tragedy has not “resonated with me and it probably won’t” until he sees his daughter’s body.

An investigation is ongoing.

[Image via iStock Photo]

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