Officer Who Released Dog on Surrendering Suspect Fired

The Ohio police officer who was caught on video releasing a police dog on a Black truck driver who was surrendering with his hands up has been fired. The Circleville Police Department said in a statement that "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," NBC News reports. Speakman, who joined the force in February 2020, "has been terminated from the department, effective immediately," the statement said.

In footage of the incident, which followed a lengthy chase, state troopers can be heard urging the officer not to set the dog on the suspect, with one warning Steadman, "Do not release the dog with his hands up." But the K9 was released, and it attacked Rose, who was treated for dog bites, the AP reports. Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday that the incident "should be a lesson, a wake-up call to everyone, that police training in the state of Ohio is not equal," per CBS. Circleville police said that despite DeWine's remarks on training, the department meets or exceeds all state laws and standards for police training for its canine teams.

Rose, a 23-year-old Nashville, Tennessee, resident, was charged with failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer. He was released on bail on July 7. According to an Ohio State Highway Patrol incident report, Circleville police assisted the pursuit after Rose, whose truck was missing a mudflap, failed to stop for an inspection. In 911 calls released by the Ross County Sheriff's Office, Rose told the dispatcher that he drove away from the traffic stop because he didn't know why officers had their guns drawn, CNN reports. "I don't know why they're trying to kill me," Rose said. "I do not feel safe with stopping." (More police dogs stories.)