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Police dog’s attack on Black trucker in Ohio echoes history

Published

1 year ago

October 22, 2023

Police dog’s attack on Black trucker in Ohio echoes history

CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio (AP) — As Jadarrius Rose drove his 18-wheeler through rural Ohio, a simple missing mudflap caught the highway patrol’s eye. The trip ended with a police dog’s powerful jaws clamping down on Rose even as he tried to surrender.

As he stood with his hands up beside the highway on July 4, at least six law enforcement officers surrounded him at a distance, one calling forcefully to the K-9 handler: “Do not release the dog,” highway patrol video shows.

Nevertheless, a Belgian Malinois is seen on the video either breaking free or being set loose. At first, the animal seems confused, racing past Rose toward officers at the far end of the truck, then turning back and running for Rose, then 23.

By then the trucker is on his knees, hands still high, as an officer shouts, “Get the dog off of him!”

That day, Rose joined a long list of Black Americans attacked by police dogs, a history well documented by journalists, academics and filmmakers. Investigations into such cases have been launched regularly in recent years. For some, the scenes harken back to the Civil Rights Movement, when authorities often turned dogs and firehoses on peaceful Black protesters marching for equality.

The Associated Press captured one such attack in a photograph from Birmingham, Alabama, taken in the spring of 1963. It shows two police officers setting a pair of K-9s on 15-year-old Walter Gadsden. One of the dogs lunges straight for the teenager’s belly as the other strains against his leash, panting.

Over the past five years, controversial police K-9 attacks have made headlines across the U.S.

Records reviewed by the AP in 2018 showed the Ohio State Highway Patrol used drug dogs in 28% of its stops involving Black motorists from 2013 through 2017, although the Black population accounts for only about 11.5% of people old enough to have a driver’s permit or license in the state.

The Salt Lake City police department suspended its dog apprehension program in 2020 after a Black man was bitten and an audit found 27 dog bite cases during the previous two years.

The FBI opened an investigation into the police department in Woodson Terrace, Missouri, in 2021 after cellphone video showed three officers allowing a dog to repeatedly bite a Black man. And in 2020, a Black man in Lafayette, Indiana, was placed in a medically induced coma after police dogs mauled him as he was arrested in a battery case.

A TROUBLED HISTORY

Circleville, located about 25 miles (40 km) south of Columbus, Ohio, resembles many rural towns across the country. The city’s downtown is filled with restaurants, law offices and a bakery. Flags honoring fallen servicemen and women hang from lampposts lining Main Street.

While the picture may be idyllic to some of the town’s 14,000 residents, the Rev. Derrick Holmes, longtime leader of the Second Baptist Church, said Black and white residents describe their lives very differently.

“Everyone doesn’t have the same experience, even though they’re all in the same town,” Holmes said. “And I think those divisions exist around the realities of bigotry, the realities of racism.”

At church services the day after the video of Rose’s arrest aired, Holmes said the congregation was appalled, but not entirely surprised.

“People were horrified by it,” he said. “Angered by it. Frustrated by it. And also there was a feeling of, ‘Well, here we go again.’”

This isn’t the first time Circleville police have grappled with uncomfortable questions about how they train and use police dogs. Nearly 20 years ago, a founder of the K-9 unit sued the department after he was fired for insubordination. Officer David Haynes had publicly opposed cutting training hours for dogs and their handlers to 172 hours annually from 500 hours, according to court documents.

Haynes warned in a 2003 memo that “words like ‘deliberate indifference,’ ‘negligence’ and ‘failure to train’ will someday be brought up.”

Today, Circleville’s K-9s train 16 hours per month, or 192 hours a year, according to the department. Police Chief Shawn Baer did not respond to numerous messages seeking comment.

Employing dogs to dominate a population can be traced back at least to European settlers colonizing the Americas, when the animals were used against Indigenous people. They were introduced in Southern U.S. states to capture — and sometimes kill — enslaved Black people who escaped, said Madalyn Wasilczuk, a University of South Carolina professor and author of a law journal article titled, “ The Racialized Violence of Police Canine Force.”

Wasilczuk found data on K-9 police attacks sparse, but said the animals are often used in nonviolent situations and their presence can lead to serious injury.

“When you talk about an apprehension, police talk about bite and hold, and that sounds very antiseptic,” Wasilczuk said. “But when you look at a video of what happens, you see a dog doing what it does with a chew toy, which is it grabs on, it tries to hold on, its head whips back and forth and its teeth are sunk into that body part as deeply as they can.”

THE AFTERMATH

In Rose’s case, law enforcement originally sought to pull him over because of his truck’s missing mudflap, according to a highway patrol report. Circleville Police were there to assist.

What happened next can be pieced together from law enforcement video and the incident report.

Rose initially didn’t stop as police pursued him. When he did, he saw officers with their guns drawn and took off again. At some point, he called 911 and told a dispatcher he feared the officers were “trying to kill” him. After pulling over a second time, he delayed getting out of the truck and did not immediately get on the ground as instructed.

He initially was charged with a felony for failing to comply with officers, but prosecutors dropped the case. Online court documents show Rose was charged Sept. 26 with a misdemeanor version of the offense and there is an active warrant for his arrest.

Neither Rose nor his attorney responded to repeated messages seeking comment.

It’s not clear why a K-9 unit was at the scene that day. Michael Gould, a former New York City police officer and founding member of the NYPD’s K-9 unit, said officers appeared to have control once they surrounded Rose with their guns drawn. And then there’s the image of Rose with his hands up.

“He was compliant and not a threat to anyone,” Gould said.

Rose required hospital care for the bites he suffered. Whether he sustained lasting injury is unclear.

The dog’s police handler, Officer Ryan Speakman, was fired, but the Ohio Patrolman’s Benevolent Association filed a grievance on his behalf arguing the officer was fired without just cause.

Circleville City Councilwoman Caryn Koch-Esterline said police have yet to account for what happened.

“I’m just waiting for all the information to come out,” she said in a brief interview with the AP three months after Rose’s arrest.

For those working to improve race relations in Ohio, the roadside attack was a reminder of all that is still left to do.

“If it were a white man and a dog was unleashed on that individual, what would that community be saying? I bet they would be up in arms,” said Nana Jones, president of the Columbus Chapter of the NAACP.

___

Associated Press writers Rhonda Shafner and Aaron Morrison in New York, Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida, and Samantha Hendrickson in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.

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315 south reopens near Ohio State campus before big game against Indiana

Published

1 hour ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

315 south reopens near Ohio State campus before big game against Indiana

(This story has been updated to accurately reflect the most current information.)

Ohio State football fans should be in better shape driving to Saturday’s game after road crews cleared a major traffic crash near campus.

All southbound lanes on State Route 315 beyond North Broadway Street were closed for several hours Saturday morning due to a crash, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. A semitruck carrying fuel jack-knifed around 6:30 a.m., blocking traffic on the freeway just before the Gooddale Street exit.

The truck was moved from the freeway around 8 a.m., and the freeway reopened about 45 minutes later.

How to get to Ohio Stadium for Indiana game

Ohio State athletics suggests these alternate routes to get to Ohio Stadium:

Traveling from the North

I-71 South to Hudson Street or 17th Avenue exits

Traveling from the South

I-71 North to SR-315 North
Exit at Ackerman Road or Olentangy River Road

Traveling from the East

I-670 West to SR-315 North
Exit at Ackerman or Olentangy River Road
670 West to 71 North to 17th Avenue or Hudson Street

Traveling from the West

I-270 South to 70 East to I-670 to SR-315 North
Exit at Ackerman Road or Olentangy River Road
Fishinger Road to Kenny Road to Ackerman Road
Riverside Drive to Fishinger Road or Lane Avenue

shendrix@dispatch.com

@sheridan120

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Ohio, Kentucky high school football teams look ahead to state semifinals Nov. 29

Published

9 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Ohio, Kentucky high school football teams look ahead to state semifinals Nov. 29

CINCINNATI — Thanksgiving week represents the state semifinals for high school football teams in Ohio and Kentucky.

In Division I, Moeller (13-1) is expected to take on Centerville (11-3) in a state semifinal to be played at Princeton Nov. 29. This will be Moeller’s fourth consecutive state semifinals after defeating St. Xavier 28-23.

Friday night’s sold-out game at Mason (7,000 capacity) was the second meeting between the Greater Catholic League South division rivals this season. Moeller defeated host St. X 45-37 Sept. 20. This was the first time the two teams had met in a regional final since 2014.

Moeller, Ohio’s No. 1-ranked team by MaxPreps, was the No. 1 seed in Region 4 this season. St. X, ranked No. 8 statewide by MaxPreps, is the No. 6 seed.

Region 8’s top seed, Anderson (14-0), will play Sunbury Big Walnut in a Division II state semifinal Nov. 29 at a location to be determined.

Unbeaten Anderson defeated No. 2 seed La Salle 28-21 in a regional final at Princeton.

Anderson is ranked No. 11 in the MaxPreps Ohio rankings (regardless of division) while La Salle was No. 18.

Friday was the fourth meeting between the two programs including the first matchup since a 2021 second-round playoff game in which the Lancers won 45-21, according to La Salle football broadcaster Jeff Bosse. The Lancers were also victorious in a 2020 regional semifinal and a 2007 regular-season game.

Anderson, winning its second straight regional title, now makes its fourth state Final Four appearance in program history. The Raptors were a 2023 state semifinalist, 2008 state runner-up and 2007 state champion — all in Division II.

Taft (12-2) is also heading to the state semifinals after a 26-12 win over Alter in the Division IV, Region 16 regional final at Monroe. The game was a rematch of a Week 3 game in which Taft won 36-7 over visiting Alter. That was part of the Senators’ three-game win streak to start the season.

Taft was in its first regional final since 2021, which was Tyler Williams’ first season as head coach.

The Senators have won the first Cincinnati Public Schools football regional championship since 1992, according to CPS athletics. Cincinnati Academy of Physical Education (CAPE) won the last of its three state championships in 1992 (Division IV). CAPE also won state titles in 1986 (Division III) and 1985 (Division IV).

Kentucky played its regional finals Friday night. Ryle defeated Central Hardin 43-14, getting their first regional championship since 2020.

In Class 5A, Cooper dominated at home against Southwestern, advancing after a 56-15 win. Highlands also won big, running away at the half to defeat Pulaski County 42-18.

In a rematch of last year’s Class 4A state championship, Covington Catholic defeated Boyle County 31-28.

Beechwood defeated Martin County 44-7 in Class 2A play.

Indiana was in the semi-state round Friday night. In Class 3A, Batesville lost on the road at Heritage Hills.

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Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Indiana Hoosiers prediction: Who wins, and why?

Published

17 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Indiana Hoosiers prediction: Who wins, and why?

What you should watch for as No. 5 Indiana hits the road against No. 2 Ohio State in this top-five battle, with our updated prediction for the game.

Just about everything is on the line in this one, as both Big Ten rivals look to take either a major step towards College Football Playoff eligibility, or potential elimination with a loss.

Ohio State sits in third place in the Big Ten standings thanks to that 1-point loss at Oregon earlier this year and wants revenge against the Ducks in the conference championship game.

Standing in the Buckeyes’ way is an undefeated Indiana team that has won 10 games for the first time ever and playing some of the country’s most productive offense, but hoping to impress the selection committee, which is less than enthused with the Hoosiers’ 106th-ranked strength of schedule.

What can we expect as the Hoosiers take on the Buckeyes in this Big Ten clash over the weekend?

Here’s what you should watch out for as Ohio State and Indiana meet in this Week 13 college football game, with our updated prediction.

1. Battle at the line. Ohio State is down two key blockers, as left tackle Josh Simmons and center Seth McLaughlin are both out for the season with injuries.

That’s a matchup to watch against an Indiana front seven that ranks 13th in FBS in negative plays created this season, racking up 7.3 tackles for loss per game.

For its part, Ohio State is among the best groups nationally in warding off that pressure, ranking 6th in the country surrendering just 3.4 stops behind the line per game.

2. Strength vs. strength. It’s no secret that Indiana has been putting up points this year, coming into this week ranked No. 2 in the country with 43.9 points per game, behind just Miami. That figure drops by less than a point on average when playing on the road.

But the Buckeyes have proven brilliant at preventing other teams from scoring this season, ranking No. 1 in FBS by allowing just 10.3 points from opponents, a number that falls to about a touchdown allowed on average when playing at home.

3. Get to the QB. Sure, the Hoosiers can score plenty of points, but it’s their defense that could make the bigger impact in the game, especially when generating pressure against Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, whose mobility and improvisational skills are still an open question.

That vulnerability has resulted in turnovers at times this season, as he ranks fifth among quarterbacks with 7 fumbles and has accuracy problems when forced to move in the pocket.

Howard hasn’t displayed consistent speed to get away from edge rushers, and he could have a similar issue against Indiana’s Mikail Kamara, who leads the Big Ten with 9.5 sacks.

Ohio State’s quarterback has dealt with persistent accuracy concerns when forced to move around and, given the Buckeyes’ newfound injuries on the line, that could allow Indiana to design blitzes that bring pressure through the interior and force Howard to the outside and into some hurried throws.

Most football computer models expect the Buckeyes to handle the Hoosiers in this game.

That includes the College Football Power Index, a computer prediction model that uses data points from both teams to simulate games 20,000 times and pick winners.

Ohio State is the big favorite in the game according to the index, coming out ahead in the majority 73.4 percent of the computer’s simulations of the matchup.

That leaves Indiana as the presumptive winner in the remaining 26.6 percent of sims.

How does that translate to an expected margin of victory in the game?

Ohio State is projected to be 9 points better than Indiana on the same field in both teams’ current composition, according to the model’s latest forecast.

More … Ohio State vs. Indiana prediction: What the analytics say

Ohio State is a 10.5 point favorite against Indiana, according to the lines at FanDuel Sportsbook.

FanDuel lists the total at 53.5 points for the game (Over -108, Under -112).

And it set the moneyline odds for Ohio State at -430 and for Indiana at +330 to win outright.

Three times this year, Indiana has played a game that analysts called the biggest test of its perfect season, but the Buckeyes do actually represent a marked talent discrepancy from anyone the Hoosiers have seen yet.

And while Indiana is a solid 8-2 against the spread this season, the best mark among Power Four teams, Ohio State is the first ranked team it will play, and IU is 3-9 ATS against ranked competition over the last three seasons, the third-worst record in the country.

Indiana’s worst offensive performance of the season came against Michigan, which was perhaps uncoincidentally the best defense it played to that point, and the Buckeyes are even better at bringing pressure up front and locking down throwing lanes on the back end.

The Hoosiers will get some big gainers through the air and bother Howard in the pocket, but don’t have the tacklers to contend with the variety that Ohio State can throw at them.

College Football HQ picks …

More … Ohio State vs. Indiana score prediction by expert football model

When: Sat., Nov. 23
Where: Columbus, Ohio

Time: 12 p.m. Eastern
TV: Fox network

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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