CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — Circleville Mayor Don McIlroy was notably absent for the majority of the city council meeting held on Tuesday night. This marked the first gathering since the termination of Officer Ryan Speakman and the unsettling K9 incident involving Jardarrius Rose.
Rose, 23, was an unarmed black man who was attacked by Speakman and his K9 while surrendering last month after a chase along route 23. The incident sparked worldwide outrage.
Amidst mounting tensions surrounding the termination of Officer Speakman and the impending legal actions taken by Rose, Mayor McIlroy’s absence raised eyebrows among both the city council members and the concerned citizens of Circleville. Law director Gary Kenworthy, while present at the meeting, refrained from discussing the specifics of the incident involving Speakman or the anticipated lawsuit involving Rose and prominent civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
The atmosphere at the council meeting was dull. Despite the expectation for heightened emotions surrounding the July 4 incident, no mention was made of the events involving Speakman and the dog attack.
Council stepped into executive session a few minutes into their 7 p.m. regularly scheduled meeting, with the Mayor. When council returned to chambers about 15 minutes later, the Mayor left the building before the agenda’s legislation was discussed.
Mayor McIlroy’s absence from the crucial meeting left many wondering about his stance on the ongoing controversy and his commitment to addressing the concerns of the community. As calls for transparency and accountability continue to resonate within Circleville, citizens are left to ponder the implications of the Mayor’s conspicuous absence and the future direction of the city’s leadership. Some demand the resignation of Chief of Police Shawn Baer.
Kenworthy told media outlets present at the meeting that the Safety Director and the Chief of Police remain employed as of Tuesday night.
The absence of McIlroy underscores the urgency of addressing the issues that have shaken the community. As the city grapples with the challenging situation, the people of Circleville remain without answers from their elected officials.
Kenworthy said all issues involving the K9 incident or the termination of Speakman would be handled by an outside insurance carrier and their legal team. He refused to comment any further, citing legal counsel’s advice.
Speakman was fired last week after worldwide outrage over the attack. The reason for his termination was not the bite, however, but rather he was deemed “unfit for duty” after Baer said the officer misled, gossiped and cried about the dog bite.
Notably, Tuesday night, council voted to advance two safety force levies to the ballot box this November.