Ohio investigates why a police dog was deployed on a surrendering truck driver

CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio (AP) — Several Ohio agencies are investigating why an officer allowed his police dog to attack a truck driver who was surrendering with his hands raised, despite State Highway Patrol troopers urging the officer to hold the dog back.

The lengthy pursuit on July 4 and the ensuing attack were captured on a police body camera. The chase began on state highway 35, when state troopers tried to stop a commercial semitruck that was missing a mudflap and failed to halt for an inspection, according to a Ohio State Highway Patrol incident report made available to The Associated Press.

The nearby Circleville Police Department was called in to assist, including a K9 police dog, authorities said. The truck driver, Jadarrius Rose, 23, of Memphis, Tennessee, who is Black, initially refused to get out of the truck and later defied instructions to get on the ground, according to the Highway Patrol incident report and the body cam video.

“The suspect failed to stop for marked patrol units with lights and sirens activated,” the report said. Rose eventually got on his knees and raised his hands in the air.

A Circleville police statement does not say if the officer will face any disciplinary action, and does not identify him. A person who answered the phone at the police department on Monday declined to comment and wouldn’t give their name.

However, the State Highway Patrol incident report identifies the K9 officer as Officer Ryan Speakman of the Circleville Police Department.

The body camera video shows Speakman holding back the K9, and a trooper can be heard off-camera repeatedly yelling, “Do not release the dog with his hands up!” However, Speakman deploys the dog, and it can be seen in the video attacking Rose.

The trooper can be heard yelling: “Get the dog off of him!” Rose appears to be in pain and yells “Get it off! Please! Please!” before the attack ends. Rose was treated at a hospital for dog bites.

Rose was charged with failure to comply, and he did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Messages were also left with attorney Benjamin Partee, who was identified in media reports as Rose’s lawyer.

It’s not yet clear why he refused to stop for the inspector and police. He 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 that were released by the Ross County Sheriff’s Office 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.

The dispatcher repeatedly told Rose he should stop and comply with police, and also told him the officers were not trying to harm him.

Ross County Prosecutor Jeffrey Marks said Monday that Rose was charged there “based on the events that happened” in the county. Marks’ office is now reviewing materials in the case and will ultimately decide whether any charges should be brought before a county grand jury. However, Marks said his office has no say in whether the Circleville officer is charged since that episode didn’t happen in Ross County.

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This story has been updated to correct that the pursuit was initiated by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, not the Circleville Police Department.