CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — No disciplinary action was taken against an officer who violently threw a teen to the ground, knelt on the back of their neck, and later arrested the teen over the use of a vape.
The Guardian broke the story of the violent arrest of the 16-year-old.
According to the department’s report, the incident occurred near the intersection of Sugar Street and Water Street. The officer involved claimed they were initially stopped for a school bus. Upon noticing a teenage male disembarking and walking westbound on Water Street, the officer allegedly observed the teen using a vape device.
The Guardian recently obtained body camera footage from the incident, which has raised questions about the officers’ actions. In the video, an officer can be seen kneeling on what appears to be the upper back/neck area of the teen. The teen can be heard saying, “I can’t breathe” to the officers.
The situation escalated when the officer said he attempted to communicate with the teen. The report states that the teen allegedly ignored the officer’s attempts. When the officer grabbed the teen by the shoulder, the teen allegedly raised his hands toward the officer’s face. The officer claims this was the reason behind the takedown.
The Guardian has obtained a copy of the “Use-of-Force Report” from the Chillicothe Police Department. The report was written by the primary officer in this case, Derek Wallace, and approved by Chillicothe Police Captain Chris Dubay. In the report, Wallace states the following: “Officer attempted to make contact with the juvenile for vape. (Teen’s name redacted) walked away from the officer and refused to stop. The officer ran down (teen) and grabbed him by the shoulder. (Teen) then turned around and threw his hands toward the officer’s face. The officer then leg-swept (teen) to the ground. (Teen) refused to roll over onto his stomach to be handcuffed. The officer rolled (teen) over and pulled his hands from underneath him to handcuff him.”
In the body cam video, Officer Wallace can be heard lying to fellow officers Terry Brown and Christian Seymour. Wallace tells officers, caught on body cam, that the teen fled from Wallace and he had to chase after him. The body cam video from Wallace paints a different story. The teen in the body cam can be seen walking down East Water Street with a pair of headphones in his ears. Wallace can then be seen running toward the teen before the teen turns around and notices the officer. The teen says, “I know my rights,” moments before being violently taken to the ground by Wallace. The teen was handcuffed and arrested by Wallace and his trainee, recently hired officer Christian Seymour.
Critics are questioning the legality of the stop and the handling of the situation. The use of force, particularly the officer’s decision to kneel on the teen’s upper back, has ignited additional controversy. Over the last few years, reform efforts have been underway nationwide to stop the practice of officers kneeling on the backs and necks of those in custody. The haunting specter of George Floyd’s final moments looms large, serving as a stark reminder of the lethal consequences that can arise from such practices.
This is not the only recent incident where officers with the Chillicothe Police Department physically accosted local children. During the recent arrest of now-convicted attempted murderer Jason Lytle, Lytle’s 10-year-old son, who according to the family is autistic, was attacked by Chillicothe Police Sergeant Samantha Taczak and also newly hired officer Katrina Hallam. 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. Captain Chris Dubay with the department stated that “no disciplinary records exist” for the report.