Current:Home > NewsOhio police chief says K-9 handler was deceptive during probe of dog attack on surrendering trucker -AssetScope
Ohio police chief says K-9 handler was deceptive during probe of dog attack on surrendering trucker
View
Date:2025-04-14 01:17:38
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio police agency shared records Tuesday that showed an officer who released his police dog on a surrendering truck driver was repeatedly told not to keep talking about the incident before he was fired last week.
Records provided to The Associated Press by the Circleville Police Department indicated Officer Ryan Speakman met twice with Chief Shawn Baer to discuss reports of Speakman crying, talking to employees, families and K-9 trainers and exhibiting stress-related behavior after the July 4 incident.
The Circleville Police Department fired Officer Speakman last week, alleging that he “did not meet the standards and expectations we hold for our police officers.”
Late last month, Baer wrote that Speakman had “released confidential information” and was deceptive when Baer sought information from him.
A message seeking comment was left Tuesday for Speakman’s union, the Ohio Patrolman’s Benevolent Association. The organization filed a grievance last week on his behalf arguing he had been fired without just cause.
During a July 19 meeting, Baer wrote, he met with Speakman over reports that he had been crying and speaking to colleagues about being stressed over the incident. Baer said he told Speakman that his conduct was not beneficial to himself or the agency, according to the documents the department provided.
The two met again on July 20, following reports Speakman was still speaking with colleagues about the matter. Baer asked Speakman for a list of people he spoke to about the situation. After receiving the list, Speakman admitted to also sharing details of the incident with members of his family.
According to the report, Speakman reportedly implored Baer to not “take his best friend from him,” meaning the police dog involved in the attack. The agency records also state Speakman provided a two-page list to investigators of the people outside the police department with whom he spoke following the attack.
His firing came one day after the department said he had been placed on paid administrative leave, a standard practice during use-of-force investigations.
The town’s civilian police review board found Speakman did not violate department policy when he deployed the dog, police said last week, although the review board lacks authority to recommend discipline.
Speakman, who joined the Circleville department in February 2020, deployed his police dog following a lengthy pursuit involving the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Troopers tried to stop a truck that was missing a mudflap and failed to halt for an inspection, according to a highway patrol report. Circleville Police was asked to assist.
Jadarrius Rose initially refused to get out of the truck and later defied instructions to get on the ground, according to the incident report and the body cam video. Rose eventually got on his knees and raised his hands in the air.
The body camera video shows Speakman holding back the dog, and a trooper can be heard off-camera repeatedly yelling, “Do not release the dog with his hands up!” However, Speakman deployed the dog and it can be seen in the video attacking Rose, who said, “Get it off! Please! Please!”
Rose was treated at a hospital for dog bites.
He was charged with failure to comply, and hasn’t responded to an email sent last week seeking comment. Florida-based attorney Benjamin Crump announced last week that he would represent Rose. Crump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It’s not clear why Rose refused to stop for police. Rose is Black, and Speakman is white. Rose told The Columbus Dispatch that he couldn’t talk about why he didn’t stop. But when asked about the video, told the newspaper: “I’m just glad that it was recorded. What you saw is what, pretty much, happened.”
Audio recordings of 911 calls show Rose told emergency dispatchers that the officers pursuing him were “trying to kill” him and he didn’t feel safe pulling over. He also said he was confused about why the officers were trying to stop him and why they had their guns drawn after he briefly stopped the truck before driving away.
veryGood! (73)
Related
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- Freaky Friday 2: Sneak Peek Photos of Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis Will Take You Away
- Elon Musk’s Ex Grimes Shares Support for His Daughter Vivian After Comments on Gender Identity
- Whoopi Goldberg, Jennifer Aniston, more celebs denounce JD Vance's 'cat ladies' remarks
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Test results for Georgia schools rise again in 2024, remain below pre-pandemic outcomes
- 2024 Paris Olympics: See Every Winning Photo From the Opening Ceremony
- 2024 Paris Olympics: France’s Rail Network Suffers “Malicious Attack Ahead of Opening Ceremony
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Shop the Best Stanley Tumblers for Kids, Plus Back to School Water Bottles & Drinkware (That Are so Cute)
Ranking
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Alabama prison chief responds to families’ criticism
- Damages to college athletes to range from a few dollars to more than a million under settlement
- Climate Change Contributes to Shift in Lake Erie’s Harmful Algal Blooms
- Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
- NORAD intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers off coast of Alaska
- Beyoncé's music soundtracks politics again: A look back at other top moments
- Airline catering workers threaten to strike as soon as next week without agreement on new contract
Recommendation
Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
MLB trade deadline: Orioles land pitcher Zach Eflin in deal with AL East rival
Sammy Hagar 'keeping alive' music of Van Halen in summer Best of All Worlds tour
The Daily Money: Back-to-school financial blues
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
Senators call on Federal Trade Commission to investigate automakers’ sale of driving data to brokers
Hugh Jackman Gets Teased Over His Divorce in Deadpool & Wolverine
2024 Olympics: Serena Williams' Daughter Olympia Is All of Us Cheering on Team USA