Citizen police oversight board fields concerns about Akron officers in arrest video
By Catherine Ross
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AKRON, Ohio (WEWS) — Days after an arrest video surfaced on social media and sparked backlash, some are calling for a review of Akron Police’s use-of-force policy.
The department is investigating after the video appeared to show an officer striking a man in the face. The struggle happened during a July 1 arrest.
“The video is atrocious. It’s morally repugnant. It’s completely out of norm,” one woman said during public comment at the Akron Citizens Police Oversight Board (CPOB) meeting Wednesday.
According to the department’s account, officers were checking a car’s registration Saturday night when they found the tags were expired and the driver had warrants. Police said the officers lost track of the car but spotted it later at a dollar store, where the man resisted arrest.
The video taken by a nearby witness shows the ensuing struggle as the officers tried to handcuff the man. After they wrestle him to the ground, one officer appears to strike the man in the face.
One use-of-force expert told News 5 that the officers’ actions in the video were not excessive, but some online and at the Wednesday evening meeting disagreed.
“This man had his one-year-old child with him when they brutally assaulted him,” one man said, explaining he thought it appeared the officers put the man in an illegal chokehold. “There’s no investigation needed to see what is illegal by this policeman.”
CPOB members did not specifically address the incident during their meeting, but the board chairman told News 5 they’re also paying attention to it.
“It’s kind of peeling off the scab to the hurt that our community feels already,” Board Chair Kemp Boyd said.
Akron Police said the department is looking into the incident and once Internal Affairs completes its use-of-force investigation, it will turn its findings over to the Police Auditor and CPOB.
Boyd explained the board and auditor will examine the investigation itself and whether the officers followed policy.
“Even if they did follow the training, does training need to change? That’s always going to be our question, really looking at the policies and procedures,” he said.
The board is in the process of developing its own policies and procedures. Wednesday, members look at a draft of proposed rules. Among the provisions was subpoena power, which would give the board authority to compel witness testimony and request records or other evidence during investigations.
The board tabled a vote on the rules Wednesday. The operations must also receive approval from the city before they can be adopted. Boyd is asking Akronites to have patience as the process plays out, so rebuilding trust and making changes to the Akron Police Department is as deliberate and effective as possible.
“We’re being really patient and methodical in our approaches to try to read and understand everything before we just jump out there and try to make some type of decision,” Boyd said.
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