Tennessee trucker bitten by police K-9 hires civil rights attorney Ben Crump
“A man was mauled by a police canine over a missing mudflap.”
CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio (WSMV) - The family of the Tennessee truck driver bitten by a police K-9 in Ohio has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
Crump made the announcement on Thursday afternoon that he will be representing 23-year-old Jadarrius Rose.
He says Rose, an unarmed Black truck driver, was injured after an officer released their K-9 on him during a traffic stop for a missing mudflap. Ryan Speakman, the officer who deployed the K-9, has been fired by the Circleville Police Department.
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The Circleville Police Department said Speakman “did not meet the standards and expectations we hold for our police officers” and his termination is “effective immediately.” His firing comes a day after the department said he was on paid administrative leave, which is standard during use-of-force investigations.
Attorney Crump released the following statement:
“It is unacceptable for a police officer, while being instructed by other officers NOT to release the dog while Jadarrius was surrendering with his hands up, to do just that. Body cam video clearly shows Speakman lead the canine to attack unarmed Jadarrius who, at that point, was fully complying. Jadarrius felt unsafe when the traffic stop was initiated and did everything he was supposed to do in that situation – he called 911 to explain his concerns and kept driving. The reality we live in is that Black people have an ingrained mistrust for law enforcement because of situations like this. A man was mauled by a police canine over a missing mudflap.”
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