Two Ohio police officers have resigned and a local police chief was put on administrative leave following a disturbing incident where cops deployed tasers during a traffic stop of a group of black people in a golf cart.
Put-in-Bay police Chief Steve Riddle was placed on leave and two officers involved in the incident – Lt. Michael Russo and Sgt. Melissa Wilde – resigned, it was announced Wednesday.
On Saturday police approached a group of 11 black people sitting on a 10-person golf cart after it failed to stop at a sign and was weaving on the roadway.
Dramatic bodycamera video shows cops initially arrest a woman on suspicion of hiding drugs in her pants, but when her peers start to shout in protest, officers become aggresive with the group, tase several of them, and order them to lay on the ground on their stomachs.
Two Ohio police officers have resigned and a local police chief was put on administrative leave following a disturbing incident where cops deployed tasers and kneed on the chest of a man during a traffic stop of a group of black people in a golf car. The group pulled over above
During the traffic stop the police accused this woman of hiding drugs in her pants
When cops arrested her the group began to protest and shout. Cops then became aggressive, leading the group to raise their hands in surrender
Police called for backup and brandished their guns, pointing them at the group when they yelled and protested the arrest of the woman and another man in the group
Bodycamera footage of the incident released by prosecutors Wednesday shows Put-in-Bay police first stop a group of white people on a golf cart, check their license, and appear to write them a ticket, before going after the golf cart filled with the black group.
The officers chase the cart of black people and they oblidgingly pull over.
The officers approach the group asking for the driver’s license. As they check it one cop accuses a woman in the group of allegedly stuffing something down her pants, though it wasn’t caught on camera, and arrest her.
The driver became angry with the arrest, leading one officer to order his peer to arrest the driver.
‘What I do? What I do?’ the driver said in the officer’s face, leading to a scuffle with a cop, causing people in the group to start yelling.
The two officers grab the man’s arms as he shouts: ‘Tell me what charges? Tell me what charges?’
Both officers then draw their guns and order the group to get on the ground. The group start to shout and scream asking why and raise their arms in surrender, as they cops call for backup.
Back up officers arrived to the scene and forced the group to lay on the ground on their stomachs
This man, the driver of the golf cart, protested arrest and was hounded by police
Two officers tasered him and pinned the driver of the golf cart to the ground as seen above in bodycamera footage from the incident
A view of the arrested group on the ground above. Nine people – six men and three women – were arrested and most were charged with assault, aggravated rioting, resisting arrest and inciting violence
More officers arrived to the scene, including one bearing a gun and another a Taser.
One officer is seen deploying a taser on one man, forcing him to fall to the ground as a nearby woman screams: ‘He didn’t do nothing’.
When the driver of the golf cart continues standing the cops tase him and at least two officers pin him to the ground yelling: ‘Stop resisting!’
The two cops are heard asking the driver about a drug he supposedly passed to his girlfriend. A report on the incident does not state that drugs were found on the woman, according to the Sandusky Register.
‘You’re all getting prison,’ Lt. Russo is heard saying in the video.
When in the police cruiser Russo is heard saying to the arrested group: ‘So, have a good time in Mansfield, referencing the Mansfield Correctional Institution. ‘Drug trade’s real good, right?’
One of the officers conducting the arrests allegedly got punched in the face, however, no punches were seen on camera. The police department said no officers were harmed in the incident.
Put-In-Bay Ohio Police Chief Steve Riddle was put on administrative leave on Wednesday for the golf cart arrest and prior incident
In total six men and three women were arrested. Most were charged with inciting violence, aggravated riot, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.
On Monday all six men Aaron Tucker, Spencer Robinson, Ryan Hollingshead, Damejion Smith, Shalon Shelton and Trae Caffey appeared in Ottawa County’s municipal court and had their charges dismissed and they were released from jail.
They claim the arrest was racially motivated, according to Cleveland19.
The three women — Diamone Wilson, Panizie Hunter and Paris Hunter — were not jailed after the incident and were each given court summons on their charges, VanEerten said. Their cases are still pending, but VanEerten said they also will likely be dismissed, according to the Register.
Two of the men arrested in the case pictured Monday after being released from jail holding a sign that said ‘Enough is Enough Stand Against Racism’
A small protest took place outside the Ottawa County Jail on Monday before the dropped charges were announced. The demonstrators cheered as the group was released one by one
Protesters pictured demanding the release of the men outside Ottawa County Jail on Monday. The men arrested claim the incident was racially motivated
‘It was a just a normal, routine traffic stop then (an officer) took his gun out. Next thing I know, I’m arrested,’ Aaron Tucker said upon his release.
A small protest took place outside the Ottawa County Jail on Monday before the dropped charges were announced. The demonstrators cheered as the group was released one by one.
Prosecutor James VanEarten says the officers involved in the incident are Russo, Cpl. Terry Rutledge, Sgt. Melissa Wilde, Capt. Matt Mariano, Patrolman Nick Santoro, Officer Luis Valdez and Officer Dwayne Webb. An eighth officer was not identified.
‘It was a situation that got out of hand very quickly,’ VanEarten said, saying he’s reviewing the footage.
It’s not yet clear of the Put-in-Bay officers involved could portentially face charges such as assault.