Case dropped against Riverside accuser

The man who accused Riverside police of brutality during a November arrest had his criminal case dropped.

The man who accused Riverside police of brutality during a November arrest had his criminal case dropped, according to court records.

After a Nov. 25 traffic crash, Riverside police cited Jisaka Shawhan on misdemeanor charges of assured clear distance and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle.

Those charges were cleared Wednesday, according to Montgomery County Municipal Court records.

William Daly, an attorney for Shawhan, last week said he believes a Riverside police officer assaulted his client.

Shawhan had suffered a seizure and could not cogently answer the officer’s questions as he sat in the police cruiser, Daley said. Shawhan had been involved in a crash that day. His arrest stemmed from that incident.

Riverside police said Officer Ron Reardon responded to the call as backup.

Daly said the initial responding officer “pulled” an unresponsive Shawhan out of his car, unaware, he said, that his client couldn’t communicate because he suffered an epileptic seizure that led to the wreck.

After seeing Shawhan carrying a holster, the officer subdued him and put him on the ground face first, Daly said. Reardon then arrived and “grabs (Shawhan) by the hair — while he’s on the ground — twists his head and pushes it into the concrete,” he said.

Following the incident, Reardon was placed on paid leave during a four-month state investigation of his actions that night.

Reardon’s actions were initially reviewed internally then referred to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Riverside Police Chief Frank Robinson said.

Reardon was not charged but served a three-day suspension in April for “policy violations during the incident,” Robinson said.

Daly was not immediately available for comment.