‘Fired Without Just Cause!’ Police Union Backs Officer Who Loosed Dog on Black Man With Hands Up

It was the Fourth of July, 2023, and Jadarrius Rose, 23, was driving a semi-tractor trailer on U.S. Route 23 in Ohio. The truck was missing a mud flap and failed to stop at an inspection station, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The truck was halted after what police describe as a lengthy chase where officers say they deployed tire deflation devices, known as “stop sticks,” twice to get the truck to stop. Rose indicated he called 911 in fear for his safety and was unaware as to why he was being stopped.

According to police video. Rose exited the truck and raised his hands. The body cam video is from an officer who slowly walked past at least twelve police vehicles as he/she approached the scene. Conflicting commands could be heard, one officer ordering Rose to “get on your knees,” another ordering him to “come to me!”

Officers on the scene included Ohio State Troopers and the Circleville Police Department (CPD). K9 officer Ryan Speakman with the CPD had his dog at the ready as the scene unfolded. Clearly heard on the video were State Troopers yelling at Speakman at least three times not to release the dog while the suspect had his hands up.

“Do not release the dog — with his hands up,”

Speakman released the dog anyway; the German Shepherd bit and mauled Rose until officers pulled it off. Officer Speakman was placed on paid administrative leave after three weeks and rising negative publicity from the video. Two days later, he was fired, with police releasing this statement.

“Officer (Ryan) Speakman did not meet the standards and expectations we hold for our police officers. Officer Speakman has been terminated from the department, effective immediately,”

Jadarrius Rose and his family retained attorney Benjamin Crump who earned a $10 million settlement representing the family of Andre’ Hill in 2021 in nearby Columbus, Ohio. Crump had this to say:

“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. 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.” — Attorney Benjamin Crump

I was content to let this play out without writing about it until the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, a union representing Speakman, came to his defense. In their view, Officer Speakman was fired ‘without just cause,” and they want him reinstated with any pay missed. They felt he did nothing wrong.

It’s true that “without just cause” has a specific legal meaning in Union contracts and that the Union may not be saying Speakman did nothing wrong. My concern is that this Union and others seem to feel that an officer is entitled to “progressive discipline” because, as far as we know, it’s the first time Officer Speakman has loosed a dog on a Black man with his hands up, he should be given additional chances. Does the same thing apply to committing murder or planting evidence?

I’m often disappointed but never surprised by Police Unions defending the indefensible. They have been there when officers shot suspects in the back; they stood up for the killers of George Floyd. I’d like just once for a Police Union to make a statement saying, “We don’t got you!” Just once.

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This post was previously published on MEDIUM.COM.

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