COLUMBUS – A Columbus police officer is being pulled from patrol duties over comments he made following an arrest captured on a cellphone video that showed other officers kicking and punching the man.
MESSAGE FROM CHIEF JACOBS regarding an officer being relieved of duty for body camera comments that were unprofessional & inappropriate. pic.twitter.com/5rTiA6ZvKG
— Columbus Division of Police (@ColumbusPolice) September 13, 2017
Police Chief Kimberley Jacobs says she is appalled by the inappropriate and unprofessional comments made by the officer whose name wasn’t released.
“Accountability and transparency are vital to our entire community and every member of the Division. We have taken the officer’s badge and weapon pending further investigation,” Jacobs said.
Five council members, including President Zach Klein and President Pro Tem Priscilla T%yson released a statement applauding Jacobs’ “swift action to take the officer’s badge and gun and immediately relieve him from duty.”
“We also expect a complete and thorough investigation of the entire incident,” they said in a joint statement.
The department says the comments were recorded on a body camera and that the officer didn’t appear to be involved in the arrest.
Video shows officers struggling to subdue the suspect and eventually punching and kicking Timothy Davis during the Sept. 1 arrest inside a Columbus convenience store.
A police spokesman says use of force depends on a suspect’s behavior and police policy does allow for punching and kicking.
The comments depicted in the body camera footage and the arrest of Davis will be investigated by the Internal Affairs Bureau separately, Sgt. Dean Worthington said.