Mayor, chief denounce stomping of suspect
Columbus police officer’s alleged assault on YouTube.
The actions of a Columbus police officer shown on video stomping on a restrained man’s head were publicly denounced Tuesday afternoon by city officials at a news conference.
“What I saw was troubling, upsetting — it’s disturbing,” said Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, who said he has been addressing the concerns of faith and community leaders. “It’s not consistent with the values and training (of the) Columbus Division of Police . ... It erodes the public trust.”
In a video posted on YouTube, 26-year-old Demarko Anderson is lying on his chest on a concrete driveway and appears to already be restrained by another officer when Officer Zachary Rosen darts in and kicks Anderson in the head with his left foot. Anderson is facing a number of charges, including for allegedly having a weapon and drugs.
Rosen, 32, has been reassigned to non-patrol duty indefinitely while a use-offorce investigation is conducted.
“We give incredible power to those in law enforcement — much more than anyone else in our community — the ability to detain, question, arrest, take away our individual freedom,” Ginther said. “That is great power, and that comes with an awesome responsibility.”
City council members issued a collective statement, saying, “These actions are contrary to how we expect Columbus Division of Police officers to conduct themselves with the community, especially during intense situations.”
Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs declined to say where Rosen is now assigned, but she said the investigation will be completed within two weeks.
Jacobs cited U.S. Supreme Court rulings saying that officers involved in the use of force are judged by what they knew at the time. She said investigators will be asking what Rosen was trying to accomplish with his actions.
Rosen is also one of the two plainclothes officers who shot and killed 23-year-old Henry Green in June last year. Rosen fired 15 shots in that incident. A Franklin County grand jury recently declined to indict the officers. The city’s Firearms Review Board is still examining the shooting.
Some community leaders are calling for Rosen to be fired.
Nana Watson, president of the NAACP Columbus chapter, said: “We are requesting that he be removed from the force. The behavior displayed by (the) officer makes it extremely difficult for our community to stomach.”
State Sen. Charleta B. Tavares, D-Columbus, assistant Senate minority leader, described the weekend incident as abusive and deliberative.
“This officer has shown a pattern and practice of abuse and excessive force having been involved in the controversial and questionable shooting of Henry Green,” she said in a statement. “We cannot allow this behavior to continue with anyone who is sworn to protect and serve all residents of Columbus.”
State Rep. Hearcel Craig, D-Columbus, said in a statement: “I was disturbed and upset by the damaging and violent behavior I saw on the video. I am hopeful we will all soon have more information and perhaps answers when the city of Columbus and the Columbus Police Division conduct their investigation into this deeply disturbing situation.”
Sean Walton, an attorney representing Green’s family, said the latest incident involving Rosen shows a pattern of troubling behavior.
“The video footage raises concerns the (Green) family has long had about the unchecked aggression of Officer Rosen,” Walton said in a statement.
Walton cited a June 2015 incident in which Rosen was on patrol and retaliated against a citizen. The citizen accused Rosen and another officer of illegally parking in a fire lane. The man was stopped shortly afterward and issued a citation.
A sergeant in internal affairs later wrote that Rosen “did not use good discretion, did not exhibit proper conduct and self-control, and did not maintain impartiality when addressing the verbal affront.” Rosen was issued a “counseling statement” for not maintaining an impartial attitude.
If administrators discipline Rosen for kicking a suspect, it would not involve progressive discipline from the June 2015 case. Counseling statements can only be considered if an officer commits a similar type of violation within nine months, according to the contract.
Rosen has worked for Columbus Division of Police since December 2010.
When he applied to be a police officer, he said he wanted to work in the busiest part of the city, according to his background file. In the six years he has been on the force, most of his time has been in Linden, said Sgt. Rich Weiner, a spokesman for the division.
“He works in an area that is troubled by violence,” Jacobs said. “Everyday (he) goes up there to try and help people. He’s made numerous gun arrests trying to take guns off the street.
“I have no reason to believe that there’s any connection (to the Henry Green case) other than the fact that it’s the same officer.”