COLUMBUS — A special prosecutor has charged three Columbus police officers Wednesday for alleged misconduct in their handling of demonstrators during the protests last summer following the killing of George Floyd.
Special prosecutor Kathleen Gerber and independent investigator Rick Wozniak announced the first charges against two officers and a sergeant with the Columbus Division of Police in an ongoing investigation into the division’s handling of the days of intense protests last summer.
Officer Traci Shaw has been charged with three misdemeanor counts each of of assault, dereliction of duty and interfering with civil rights.
Sergeant Holly Kanode has been charged with misdemeanor counts of falsification and dereliction of duty.
The charges against Shaw and Kanode stem from incidents that occurred on May 30, special prosecutor Kathleen Garber said.
Officer Phillip Walls has been charged with two counts each of assault, dereliction of duty and interfering with civil rights in connection with an event that occurred on May 29, Garber said.
The misdemeanor charges follow a federal judge’s ruling in April that the division mishandled the protests and used force against protesters without provocation.
The three officers have been assigned to administrative duties pending the outcome of the criminal investigation, according to a release from the Columbus Division of Police Public Information Office.