Police investigating use of force against man

The Columbus Division of Police is investigating the use of force — thrown punches and the use of a stun gun — on a man who had an open beer can on a sidewalk Downtown.

The incident occurred around 5 p.m. Monday outside the Fresh A.I.R. Gallery on the 100 block of North High Street near East Long Street.

Columbus police identified the man on Tuesday as 35-year-old Maurice Taylor of Downtown. He was arrested on charges of resisting arrest, failure to disclose personal information and having an open container of beer.

Josiah Chapo, a bystander, took cellphone video of the incident and posted it on social media. By midday Tuesday, the video had received more than 62,000 views and been shared more than 2,000 times.

Chapo said the man had been approached by police for having an empty beer can while on the sidewalk. He said the officer shoved the man into a glass window, at which point Chapo began filming.

Having an open container is a minor misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum $150 fine.

Columbus police released the footage of the incident from the responding officer’s body camera Tuesday afternoon. Police did not release the officer’s name.

The video shows the officer asking Taylor about a beer can he had been seen holding earlier. Taylor doesn’t cooperate with the officer’s requests to provide his name or to put his hands behind his back.

The officer can be heard telling Taylor to get on his stomach more than 10 times. The officer is then seen shoving Taylor into a glass entryway and punching the man while he is lying on the sidewalk. The stun gun is used after Taylor continues to resist putting his hands behind his back.

While the stun gun was being used, Taylor attempted to pull the device away from the officer, the video shows.

Two other officers responded to the scene within 46 seconds after Chapo began filming.

After Taylor was placed in handcuffs, the body camera video shows him attempting briefly to pull away from officers and resisting being placed in a police cruiser.

Jason Pappas, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9, the union that represents Columbus police officers, said Chapo’s video shows only one portion of the story.

“Without the video being in context, it’s just an incomplete snippet of video,” Pappas said.

Officers have the right to use force when necessary to make an arrest, he said, and procedures are in place to investigate whether force was used in accordance with departmental policy.

Pappas said he would need more information to determine whether the officer had acted appropriately.

An internal review of the incident is ongoing and police are asking any witnesses or anyone with additional video to contact them.