They are looking into why they had to use a police dog to attack a semi-truck driver who appeared to be obeying their orders to get on his knees and keep his hands in the air after allegedly leading officers from multiple agencies on a high-speed chase.
Police body-cam footage showing the arrest of 23-year-old Jadarrius Rose was not made public by the Ohio State Highway Police until Friday, July 21. The incident occurred on July 4 on U.S. Route 23 near Circleville, Ohio, some 28 miles south of Columbus.
The video from Rose’s body camera shows an incoming German Shepherd K-9 from the Circleville Police Department in Ohio being restrained by its handler while troopers yell at her to “Get on the ground or you’re going to get bit.” Rose is seen on camera obeying instructions to get down on his hands and knees.
Throughout the footage, a police officer can be heard shouting, “Do not release the dog with his hands up.” However, the dog was turned loose and attacked Rose, gripping his arm as he yelled, “Get it off” and appeared to be in pain.
The tweet below verifies the news:
Investigation launched after video shows Ohio police dog attacking suspect with his hands up. https://t.co/JZHGZf7vgr
— ABC News (@ABC) July 24, 2023
In the middle of the video, Rose is seen being attacked by a dog in the grassy center area, but other cops, including the dog’s handler, quickly arrive and remove the animal off of him. “As troopers were attempting to gain compliance by providing verbal commands to the suspect, the Circleville Police Department deployed their canine, which resulted in the suspect being bitten by the canine,” the Ohio State Highway Police said in a statement.
According to the release, after taking Rose into arrest, troopers administered first aid to him while waiting for paramedics to arrive. After receiving medical care, Rose was turned over to the state Highway Police. The highway patrol reported that he was arrested and put into the Ross County Jail for refusal to cooperate, a fourth-degree crime.
Why Rose did not instantly pull over when initially requested to do so by troopers remained unknown as of Sunday. According to the Circleville Police Department, the local Use of Force Review Board is currently looking into the incident. Circleville Police Officer R. Speakman was the K-9 Officer in charge of the German Shepherd during Rose’s arrest, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The California Examiner is a must-read for anybody living in the Golden State:
- Deadly Shooting Erupts at Houston After-Hours Club; Suspect at Large
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Circleville officials have been mum on whether Speakman has been placed on leave or will be. Neither Rose nor Officer Speakman responded to ABC News’ requests for comment. Rose, as far as I can tell from the internet, is no longer in custody in Ross County. He may or may not have retained legal counsel.
In a statement to the Columbus, Ohio, affiliate of ABC News, the union representing Circleville police officers asked that “everyone reserve judgment” and declined additional comment. The Columbus chapter of the NAACP is also investigating, according to president Nana Watson.
Watson claimed she was “traumatized” after watching the body cam footage of Rose’s arrest because it “brought back memories from the 1960s.” “I was afraid for him. I was fearful for him,” Watson told WSYX. “I was taken aback when he had his hands up, and they unleashed the dog on him.”
Watson added, “It saddens me that in 2023 we have officers who are unleashing dogs on a person who clearly had his hands in the air. That did not matter to the Circleville Police Department.” According to a preliminary incident report released by the state Highway Police on July 4, the incident began around 9:30 a.m.
when troopers from the state Highway Police Department’s Motor Carrier Enforcement Inspector unit attempted to pull Rose over on westbound U.S. Route 35 for an alleged traffic defect violation. According to the incident report, Rose refused to pull over and led troopers on a chase through two counties.
“I activated my marked patrol vehicle light bar and siren, but the suspect failed to stop. I drove in the left lane and along the left side of the vehicle in an attempt to get the driver’s attention. The driver would not make eye contact and did not acknowledge me,” a trooper wrote in the report.
A trooper was “forced to swerve off the right side of the roadway to avoid contact” by the big rig as the pursuit moved onto U.S. Route 23, the report states. According to the complaint, Rose was forced to pull over on Route 23 in Pickaway County when his tires were blown out by troopers placing stop sticks, or spike strips, in the road ahead of the chase.
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If you’re a resident of the Golden State, you should read The California Examiner:
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- The Bodies of Four People Killed in a Helicopter Crash in Alaska Have Been Pulled From a Lake