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The Ohio cop who released his police dog on a black truck driver who was surrendering earlier this month — ignoring clear orders to restrain the animal — has been fired.
The Circleville Police Department said Wednesday that Ryan Speakman “did not meet the standards and expectations we hold for our police officers” after he unleashed a German shepherd K9 that mauled Jadarrius Rose on July 4.
The 23-year-old black man, who had failed to stop his semi-trailer for a Motor Carrier Enforcement inspector while driving with a missing mud flap, was on his knees and with his hands up when he was mauled.
Speakman’s termination is “effective immediately” and comes just one day after the department announced they had placed him on paid administrative leave as his use of force was investigated.
The swift canning comes in spite of the Circleville Police Use of Force Review Board determination “that the department’s policy for the use of canines was followed in the apprehension and arrest.”
Additionally, investigators affirmed with the Pennsylvania-based police service dog facility that trained the K9 involved in the attack — as well as the department’s other police dogs — “that its training protocols were followed.”
“It’s 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,” Circleville police said in a statement.
“The Review Board does not have the authority to recommend discipline.”
Circleville police did not disclose what led them to fire Speakman, a three-year department officer, stating that it would have no further comment “at this time” considering it was a personnel matter.
The Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, the police union Speakman belongs to, filed an official grievance Wednesday that demanded Circleville revoke the termination and expunge the officer’s record after claiming Speakman was fired without just cause.
Speakman, who joined the Circleville department in February 2020, deployed his police dog following an erratic 25-minute pursuit on July 4 involving the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Distressing bodycam footage captured the moment Ohio state troopers ordered Rose to approach while Speakman, holding back the K9, yelled conflicting orders.
“Get on the ground or you’re going to get bit!” he can be heard shouting in the video.
Rose complies by getting onto his knees and raising his hands, as a state trooper yells at Speakman: “Do not release the dog with his hands up!”
But Speakman released the dog, which lunged toward the surrounding man as he screamed for help.
Rose was treated at a nearby medical center for the dog bites and was booked with failure to comply, a fourth-degree felony, after being released.
It is not clear why Rose didn’t stop when police initially tried to pull him over, but audio recordings of a 911 call reveal he told emergency dispatchers that the officers pursuing him were “trying to kill” him and he didn’t feel safe pulling over after noticing they had their guns drawn.
Rose told The Columbus Dispatch that he couldn’t talk about why he ran from the officers but said: “I’m just glad that it was recorded. What you saw is what, pretty much, happened.”
The release of the video Monday sparked widespread outrage, with the governor of Ohio calling the incident a “wake-up call” for strengthened police training.
“You have a Circleville police officer making clearly a call that was not within normal protocol,” Gov. Mike DeWine said at a Tuesday press conference.
“Frankly, my first reaction was training, it really was. You just have to make sure that every officer has the right training and that is not taking place in those smaller departments.”
With Post wires
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