Investigation launched after video shows Ohio police dog attacking suspect with his hands up

(CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio) — An investigation is underway into why a police dog was deployed to attack a semi-truck driver who appeared in body-camera footage to be complying with orders to get on his knees and keep his hands in the air after allegedly leading officers from several law enforcement agencies on a highway chase, authorities said.

The incident occurred on July 4 on U.S. Route 23 near Circleville, Ohio, about 28 miles south of Columbus, but police body-camera footage of the arrest of 23-year-old Jadarrius Rose was not released to the public until Friday, July 21, by the Ohio State Highway Police.

The body-camera video shows the German Shepherd K-9, a member of the Circleville, Ohio, Police Department, arriving at the scene and initially being held back by its handler as troopers yelled to Rose, “Get on the ground or you’re going to get bit.”

The footage shows Rose complying with orders to get on his knees with both hands in the air. A police trooper can be heard in the video repeatedly yelling, “Do not release the dog with his hands up.”

The dog, however, was let loose and attacked Rose, grabbing his arm as he screamed, “Get it off” and appeared to be in pain.

Other officers, including the dog’s handler, rushed to Rose as he was being attacked in the grassy center medium and pulled the animal off Rose, according to the video.

“As troopers were attempting to gain compliance by providing verbal commands to the suspect, the Circleville Police Department deployed their canine, which resulted in the suspect being bitten by the canine,” the Ohio State Highway Police said in a statement.

Rose was taken into custody and troopers immediately performed first aid on him as they waited for paramedics to arrive, according to the statement.

Rose was treated at a hospital and released into the custody of the state Highway Police. He was booked at the Ross County Jail on charges of failure to comply, a fourth-degree felony, according to the highway patrol.

It remained unclear Sunday why Rose did not immediately pull over when troopers initially ordered him to.

The Circleville Police Department said the city’s Use of Force Review Board is conducting an investigation.

The state Highway Police identified the K-9 Officer who was handling the German Shepherd during Rose’s arrest as Circleville Police Officer R. Speakman. Circleville officials would not say if Speakman has or will be placed on leave during the investigation.

Efforts by ABC News to reach Rose or Officer Speakman for comment were unsuccessful.

According to online records, Rose has been released from the Ross County Jail. It is unclear if he has hired an attorney.

The union representing the Circleville police officers told ABC News affiliate station WSYX-TV in Columbus that it is asking “everyone reserve judgment” and declined further comment.

Nana Watson, president of the NAACP Columbus Chapter, said the organization is also looking into the incident. Watson said that after viewing the body-camera video of Rose’s arrest, she was “traumatized because it brought back memories from the 1960s.”

“I was afraid for him. I was fearful for him,” Watson told WSYX. “I was taken aback when he had his hands up, and they unleashed the dog on him.”

Watson added, “It saddens me that in 2023 we have officers who are unleashing dogs on a person who clearly had his hands in the air. That did not matter to the Circleville Police Department.”

The incident began about 9:30 a.m. on July 4, as troopers from the state Highway Police Department’s Motor Carrier Enforcement Inspector unit attempted to pull Rose over on westbound U.S. Route 35 for what they described as an alleged traffic defect violation, according to an initial incident report released by the state Highway Police.

Rose allegedly refused to pull over and led troopers on a chase through two counties, according to the incident report.

“I activated my marked patrol vehicle light bar and siren, but the suspect failed to stop. I drove in the left lane and along the left side of the vehicle in an attempt to get the driver’s attention. The driver would not make eye contact and did not acknowledge me,” a trooper wrote in the report.

As the chase shifted onto U.S. Route 23, the big rig forced a trooper to “swerve off the right side of the roadway to avoid contact,” according to the report.

Troopers placed stop-sticks, or spike strips, in the roadway ahead of the chase and blew out Rose’s tires, forcing him to pull over on Route 23 in Pickaway County and surrender, according to the report.