A white Ohio police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave after a video captured him kneeling on the back of a 15-year-old girl during a chaotic arrest following the Elyria Juneteenth Celebration on June 20. The incident, which occurred in downtown Elyria, has sparked community outrage and prompted an internal investigation by the Elyria Police Department.
Elyria Juneteenth arrest: What happened?
According to WKYC, News 5 Cleveland, Cleveland.com, police released body camera footage and additional details about the arrest on Monday. At the same time, Elyria Police Chief James Welsh confirmed that one officer had been placed on leave after video showed him using what the chief described as “a top-mounted position” in which he “applied pressure with his shin to the upper back and neck area of the juvenile.”
Police say the events unfolded around 5:09 p.m. Saturday as officers on bicycles responded to an argument between two people in Ely Square following the city’s Juneteenth celebration. According to authorities, one of the individuals involved was a 14-year-old boy who was accused of swearing and “creating a condition that officers believed presented a risk of inconvenience, annoyance, alarm, or physical harm to others present,” WKYC noted. Officers detained the teen and charged him with disorderly conduct, News 5 Cleveland reported.
After being charged, the boy was released into the custody of his mother. That’s when police say his 15-year-old sister approached officers and “refuse(d) repeated lawful commands.” Body camera footage released Monday shows officers speaking with the 14-year-old boy before the girl, who identified herself as his sister, stepped into the interaction and began yelling.
“That’s my little brother!” she repeatedly shouted as a crowd gathered nearby.
The footage shows the teen becoming increasingly emotional while several people attempted to hold her back. At one point, an officer can be heard warning her, “You’re about to go next!”
Source: Ohio Cop Knelt On A 15-Year-Old Black Girl At A Juneteenth Celebration. He Got Paid Leave
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