'Am I wrong?': Ohio officer who released police dog on Black man defends himself on bodycam video
The Ohio police officer who was fired after releasing a police dog on a Black man with his hands raised appeared to defend his actions in the immediate aftermath of the incident, according to new body camera footage.
The video, which was captured by fired Circleville Police Department Officer Ryan Speakman's body camera, shows the moment Speakman unleashed the police dog on Jadarrius Rose, who was pulled over on July 4 because his semi-truck was missing a mud flap.
In the footage, Speakman can be seen arriving on the scene and immediately shouting "get on the f------ ground or I'm gonna send the dog" as he gets out of his police vehicle and unloads the dog from the back of the car.
"You're gonna get the f------ dog sic. Get on the ground or you're gonna get bit," he shouts. He warns Rose two more times before saying, "Final chance, you're gonna get bit" and unleashing the dog.
The police dog can be seen biting into Rose's arm as the 23-year-old screams: "Please, get it off me.” Rose also appears to shout that he plays football as he implores authorities to call off the dog.
It appears to take authorities over half a minute to remove the dog and Rose can be seen crying out in pain shortly after, with his arm visibly bloodied.
In separate video released by the State Highway Patrol, Rose could be seen in front of troopers with his hands in the air before Speakman released the dog. A trooper could also be heard repeatedly warning the officer not to release the animal.
“Do not release the dog with his hands up!” a trooper is heard yelling multiple times before the dog is released. It is not clear whether Speakman hears the trooper.
‘Am I wrong?’
Following the incident, Speakman can be heard appearing to defend his decision to release the K-9.
"I don't know why they seem, like, pissed off at me," Speakman can be heard telling another officer, who responds: "I don't know."
"He didn't comply," Speakman says. "I gave him three commands. I told him, 'Final warning. If you don't get on the ground you're going to get the dog.'"
"I don't know why they seem mad at me for," he says. "He wasn't complying. I mean, am I wrong?"
"No," the colleague responds.
The July 4 incident began after a Motor Carrier Enforcement inspector with the State Highway Patrol tried to stop Rose because the semi-tractor trailer he was driving "was missing a left rear mud flap," an incident report said.
Troopers deployed tire-deflating devices called stop sticks twice before Rose's vehicle came to a stop.
Rose told a trooper who commanded him to get out of his vehicle that he was on the phone with 911, the incident report said.
A 911 caller who appeared to be Rose told a dispatcher that he was afraid officers would kill him. In a second call to 911 in another county, a caller was advised to roll down a window, according to audio from the call. “I did that the last time and all of them had their guns pointed at me. You think I feel safe?” the caller said.
The incident report said the driver had been ordered to get out of the vehicle several times and eventually did, but did not comply when he was told to "get down on the ground."
Rose was charged following the incident with failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, a fourth-degree felony, according to the highway patrol, and could face six to 18 months in prison.
Speaking with NBC News’ Tom Llamas on “Top Story with Tom Llamas,” Rose said he was afraid for his life during the altercation.
“I just didn’t want to lose my life or lose my arm,” he said.
Officer fired over incident
Police announced last month, weeks after the incident, that Speakman had been fired.
“Officer Speakman did not meet the standards and expectations we hold for our police officers. Officer Speakman has been terminated from the department, effective immediately,” the statement said. The Circleville Police Department did not immediately respond to a request on Tuesday for more information on Speakman's dismissal.
The Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association said on Facebook that Speakman had been terminated without just cause and that the union’s senior counsel had filed a grievance.
Speakman was fired “contrary to mandatory principles of progressive discipline,” the union said at the time.
The police department’s Use of Force Review Board determined the canine policy was followed during the apprehension and the arrest, the statement said.
Police said it was "important to understand that the Review Board is charged only with determining whether an employee’s actions in the use of force incident were within department policies and procedures. The Review Board does not have the authority to recommend discipline.”
It also said the department "meet or exceed all current Ohio laws and standards for police training for our canine teams," they said.
The White House last month called the video tragic and disturbing.
“Our hearts go out to Jadarrius Rose and his loved ones," said Robyn Patterson, an assistant press secretary. "The president has been clear about the urgent need for Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to strengthen public safety by promoting accountability and increasing trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve."
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
