by A 23-year-old black man who was mauled by a police dog in Ohio after surrendering with his hands up appeared to tell a 911 dispatcher that he did not know why he was being pulled over or why the officers had their weapons drawn.
“Right now I am being chased by like 20 police officers and they all pointed their guns directly at my truck,” a man police believe to be Jadarrius Rose told dispatcher during the 2-minute call, which was published Monday. “So now I’m trying to figure out why they pointed their guns at me and they’re all white.”
Rose was pulled over over July 4 weekend in Circleville, Ohio, because the truck he was driving was “missing a left rear fender,” according to an Ohio State Highway Patrol incident report.
After a chase, Rose stood outside her vehicle with her hands up when a Circleville police officer ordered his K9 to charge. An Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper could be heard on body camera video of the incident advising against releasing the dog because Rose had given up.
The 911 caller, who did not identify himself but is believed to be Rose, also says officers “blew out” the tires on his truck, which he was driving to a drop-off point. (She was referring to tire deflation devices called “stop sticks” that soldiers deployed in an attempt to stop Rose’s truck.)
“And it’s not even my truck, I’m just driving to my drop off point,” he said. “They all had their guns pointed directly at me.”
The dispatcher advises the caller to “listen to what the officers are telling you.”
“They haven’t told me anything, they haven’t told me anything,” the caller said. “I don’t know why they’re stopping me.”
The dispatcher tells the caller to roll down the window.
“I did that last time and everyone pointed their guns at me. Do you think I feel safe?” said the caller.
The caller is then instructed to stick both hands out of the window and then open the door by showing their left hand. The call ends shortly after.
A ‘prolonged chase’ ends in a beating
Rose was traveling west on US Route 35 when a motor carrier compliance inspector and Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers tried to stop him. When Rose failed to stop, the troopers deployed the stop levers on his vehicle twice before he came to a stop on US Route 23.
After being ordered multiple times to get out of the vehicle, Rose can be seen on body camera video standing in front of the soldiers with her hands in the air.
That’s when a Circleville police officer, identified as “R. Speakman,” deploys his K9 and signals the dog to attack Rose.
“Don’t let the dog go with your hands up!” A policeman can be heard yelling multiple times before Speakman releases the dog.
Body cam video then appears to show the dog biting and pulling Rose by the arm as she screams loudly.
Although Circleville police vehicles have dash cameras and officers are required to wear body cameras, Circleville Mayor McIlroy said he doesn’t know if Speakman had one during the incident.
Speakman was placed on paid administrative leave about five days ago, McIlroy told NBC News.
Asked why Speakman was not immediately put on leave after the incident, McIlroy said, “I can’t answer that question.”
“Nothing like this should happen to anyone… It’s a very unfortunate situation,” he said.
This is not the first time Speakman’s conduct has been reviewed, according to McIlroy. The officer was investigated in connection with another incident in the past two years or so.
A use of force review board is reviewing the incident, according to the Circleville Police Department. The board’s findings will be released next week.
McIlroy said he understood how people might be concerned about race as a factor in the officer’s actions, but added that “…we don’t have any racial issues here in the city of Circleville.”
He called the community “all inclusive” and “a great place to live, a great pace to raise your family, a great place to send your kids to school.”
