Ohio Police, Citing 'Heightened Scrutiny,' Release Footage Showing Taser Used on Black Man
Ohio’s Wickliffe Police Department (WPD) on June 17 released footage showing a February incident during which an officer used a Taser on a black man. The release comes amid what the department described as “heightened scrutiny” over police conduct.
Police said they were aware of another video “taken by a friend or family member of the suspect” that had gone viral, and said they had received “numerous Facebook messages” regarding the incident.
The renewed attention prompted police “to take the unusual step of releasing the dash and body camera video of the incident, as they are longer than the video clip being circulated, and we believe tell a fuller story of the encounter,” WPD said.
“We are publishing this to be accountable and transparent,” police added.
WPD said the man was initially stopped because he was wanted on several warrants for failing to register as a sex offender and violating probation. Police said the man refused to comply with repeated verbal orders prompting an officer to deploy their taser.
The man was treated at a nearby hospital and released to police, local media reported. He plead guilty to obstructing official business and resisting arrest and was sentenced to 30 days in the Lake County jail.
A second man seen in these videos was detained at the scene and released shortly after, police said. Credit: Wickliffe Police Department via Storyful
