An unarmed black trucker who was attacked by a K-9 that was unleashed by an Ohio cop said he didn’t stop for police because he was afraid for his life.
Jadarrius Rose, 23, was bitten by the dog after a lengthy police chase on July 4 that began when he failed to pull over for an inspection of his commercial tractor-trailer.
But Rose said it was fear that kept him from stopping his truck.
‘I just didn’t want to lose my life or lose my arm,’ Rose told NBC News’ Tom Llamas on ‘Top Story with Tom Llamas’ on Thursday.
Body camera video shows the moment Rose eventually stops his truck and emerges with his hands up. An Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper can be heard yelling ‘Do not release the dog with his hands up!’ before a police officer releases the K-9.
Rose was treated and released from a local hospital, then taken to the Ross County Jail where he was later released on bond. He faces a charge of failure to comply with an order or signal by a police officer.
The officer who unleased the dog, Ryan Speakman, has been fired from his position, the department said Wednesday.
Jadarrius Rose, 23, (pictured with his mother) speaks out about being attacked by a K-9 that was unleashed by ex-cop Ryan Speakman after a police chase on July 4
The unarmed black trucker said he didn’t stop for police because he was afraid for his life
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, also spoke during Thursday’s interview and said what happened to Rose was reminiscent of abuses that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement.
Rose ‘was on his knees, putting his hands in the air, which is the universal sign of surrender,’ Crump told NBC. ‘What more can a Black person do to say that ‘I’m not putting you in fear’?’
A 911 call made by Rose revealed that he told the dispatcher he felt unsafe after he was instructed to roll down the window.
‘I did that the last time and all of them had their guns pointed at me. You think I feel safe?’
The pursuit began after a Motor Carrier Enforcement Inspector tried to stop the semi-truck Rose was driving because it was missing a mud flap.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the family, also spoke Thursday, and said what happened to Rose was reminiscent of abuses that occurred during Civil Rights Movement
When the inspector turned on the lights of his marked vehicle, the ‘suspect vehicle continued west on US-35,’ the Highway Patrol’s case report says, noting the driver made direct eye contact with the officer, who called for backup.
Video of the chase showed that as cops began to pursue Rose, he slowed down and stopped, at which point an officer gets out of his vehicle with his gun drawn as he ordered Rose to step out of the truck.
Instead, Rose continued to drive away.
During the ensuing chase, he called 911 and told dispatchers the officers following him were ‘trying to kill’ him and he ‘did not feel safe’ pulling over the vehicle, according to recordings released by the Ross County Sheriff’s Office.
Throughout the recordings, Rose tells dispatchers he was confused about why he was being asked to pull over and why police had their guns drawn when he briefly stopped.
Rose was treated at a hospital, then taken to the Ross County Jail where he was later released on bond. He faces a charged of failure to comply with an order or signal by a police officer
Rose ‘was on his knees, putting his hands in the air, which is the universal sign of surrender,’ Crump told NBC. ‘What more can a Black person do to say that ‘I’m not putting you in fear’?’
Eventually, however, Rose does stop the semi-truck and gets out of the vehicle surrounded by police cars and officers with his hands raised.
In a video provided by the highway patrol, Rose is seen standing in front of the vehicle with his hands raised as law enforcement officials order him to get on the ground.
A state trooper in the distance could be heard screaming, ‘Do not release the dog with his hands up.’ It is unclear whether Speakman heard that order.
The footage showed the dog running towards Rose, on his knees, and the K-9 appeared to be biting and pulling the driver.
Rose screamed loudly and could be heard saying, ‘please get it off.’ ‘Get the dog off of him!’ a trooper yelled.
Other officers were heard on the video requesting first aid and medical attention for Rose. The suspect then asks officers why they released the dog and ordered it to attack.
‘You just let the dog bite me,’ Rose said, to which Speakman replied that he failed to listen to his commands.
Video of the chase showed that as cops began to pursue Rose, he slowed down and stopped, at which point an officer gets out of his vehicle with his gun drawn as he ordered Rose to step out of the truck.
Ryan Speakman, pictured, has been fired from the Circleville Police Department after body camera footage showed him deploying a dog on an unarmed black man
Ryan Speakman had initially been placed on leave after body camera footage showed him deploying the Belgian Malinois on Rose, 23 – who failed to pull over when he was stopped by troopers for a missing mud flap on his vehicle.
‘Circleville Police Officer Ryan Speakman’s actions during the review of his canine apprehension of suspect Jadarrius Rose on July 4 show that Officer Speakman did not meet the standards and expectations we hold for our police officers,’ the department said in a statement.
‘Officer Speakman has been terminated from the department, effective immediately.’
An ensuing investigation included a determination by a use of force review board, which found the Circleville Police Department’s ‘policy for the use of canines was followed in the apprehension and arrest.’
But city officials now say they impaneled another review board to re-examine the evidence, the Scioto Valley Guardian reports.
Footage shows the Belgian Malinois biting and attacking the black trucker
The incident unfolded on July 4 after law enforcement officers engaged in the lengthy pursuit of a semi-tractor trailer driven by 23-year-old Jadarrius Rose
The vehicle was missing a mud flap and it had failed to stop for an inspection, a report from the Ohio State Highway Patrol stated
The police department also noted: ‘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 the department policies and procedures.
‘The Review Board does not have the authority to recommend discipline.’
It continued on to say that Shallow Creek Kennels, a Pennsylvania-facility that trained the dog said their training and protocols were also followed.
Those protocols, it says, are ‘standard for service dogs’ used by the US military, Customs and Border Patrol officer, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and police departments throughout the US and Canada.
‘We know the video of the incident is upsetting, and has attracted widespread attention and comments,’ the police department said in its statement Wednesday.
‘In short, we meet or exceeded all current Ohio laws and standards for police training for our canine teams.’
The Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, meanwhile, said it filed a grievance Wednesday on behalf of Speakman — who it argues was fired without just cause.
The union asked the police department to rescind his termination; pay and reimburse Speakman for ‘all lost wages, seniority and benefits lost’ resulting from his firing; expunge his employee record of his termination history; ‘and/or any further relief necessary to make the grievance whole.’
