Body cam video shows police in Ohio release K-9 dog onto Black man as he appeared to be surrendering
Body camera footage shows a police officer in Ohio releasing a K-9 dog on a truck driver despite commands to stop the dog from at least one state trooper. The dog was released as the man, who is Black, appeared to be surrendering after a chase earlier this month.
The incident, captured on the morning of July 4, is now being investigated by U.S., state and local police in Ohio.
The officer who released the dog was identified Monday as Ofc. Ryan Speakman of the Circleville Police Department, the department's chief of police said in a statement.
Speakman has been placed on paid administrative leave as the incident is investigated by the department's Use of Force Review Board, Circleville police chief G. Shawn Baer said in a statement.
"We take all such incidents and the actions of our officers very seriously. When the Review Board's investigation is completed, we will release the results and any further action taken," Baer said.
State troopers say they were attempting to inspect a semi-truck on U.S. Route 23 in Ohio, noticing a missing rear mud flap. The truck's driver, 23-year-old Jadarrius Rose, didn't pull over, leading to a pursuit with multiple police cruisers.
Eventually, Rose did stop, but when officers exited their vehicles with guns drawn, he pulled away, tearing his left tire by speeding through a spike strip, effectively ending the chase.
Body cam footage shows Rose then exiting the vehicle and seemingly complying with officers' instructions, with his hands up. A state trooper can be heard telling the local Circleville police not to release their K-9 onto Rose, saying, "Do not release the dog with his hands up! Do not release the dog with his hands up!"
Despite at least one warning, an officer released the dog and it bit Rose, holding its grip for over 30 seconds while Rose screamed for officers to intervene.
An officer can be heard yelling, "Get the dog off of him!" The dog was eventually pulled away from Rose, who was then handcuffed before officers called for first aid. He was bleeding heavily and taken to a local hospital.
Rose was later jailed for three days before being released.
He was seemingly unarmed. There is no mention of any weapon in the police report about the incident.
Brian Higgins, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said part of the problem appeared to be miscommunication between state and local police.
"When you have other agencies ... that then descend on the incident, they have to be in some sort of agreement as to what the use of force practices will be," said Higgins.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the incident occurred on I-35.