CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – The Chillicothe Police Department is facing scrutiny after an officer allegedly physically accosted a 10-year-old child who was witnessing the violent arrest of their father.
The Guardian reported on the arrest of now-convicted attempted murderer Jason Lytle. While reviewing the police report and recently released body camera footage, the Guardian discovered a portion of the video showing a police officer shoving a distraught 10-year-old child into an entertainment center.
The child was uninjured in the incident, but it raises questions about the effectiveness of officer training when dealing with children in traumatic situations.
The incident began when police were called to an active domestic dispute at the Lincoln Park Apartment Complex. Lytle, who was out on bond for attempted murder, allegedly assaulted the mother of his children. Police arrived and attempted to take him into custody. During the altercation, Lytle managed to take an officer’s taser. Several additional officers were called to assist in subduing Lytle, who was tased multiple times and struck in the face with elbow strikes by police.
During the heated exchange, a juvenile could be heard screaming at officers to leave “my daddy” alone. The boy was being restrained by his mother, the victim in the case. At one point, the 10-year-old broke free from his mother’s grasp and began walking toward the officers. One male officer yelled at the child, saying, “Get the (expletive) back.” The same officer then yelled at two other juveniles in the home, saying they “can go (to jail) also.”
Sergeant Samantha Taczak and Officer Katrina Hallam are seen on video charging the child. Body camera footage shows one officer shoving the child into a TV and entertainment center. In the report, Sergeant Taczak stated, “I heard (child’s name redacted) saying get off my dad. (Victim) had a hold of the back of (child’s name) shirt but he was able to get away from her and he ran toward officers. Officer Hallam and I turned around to stop (child’s name) from charging officers and Officer Hallam used her forearm to stop him. (Child’s name) stumbled backward and was caught by the TV stand.”
The Guardian contacted the Chillicothe Police Department to inquire about any disciplinary actions taken against the two officers involved in the incident. A captain with the department stated that “no disciplinary records exist” for the report.