Better police training would serve the public and officers

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was right to call for improved police training in the aftermath of a Circleville police dog attacking a truck driver. "This incident in Circleville should be a lesson, a wake-up call to everyone that police training in the state of Ohio is not equal," DeWine, a Republican, said. We agree, but it shouldn't have taken what happened outside the small town south of Columbus on July 4 to spur a call for improved police training. Too often, police reform efforts fail to gain traction with lawmakers. Body camera recordings raise troubling questions about the actions of the dog's handler, identified by the Ohio Highway Patrol as then-Circleville Police Officer Ryan Speakman. Speakman, who is white, was fired Wednesday, nearly a month after the incident. Troopers tried to get the truck driver, 23-year-old Jadarrius Rose of Memphis, Tennessee, who is Black, to stop for a vehicle inspection, but he continued driving. In recordings of 911 calls released by the Ross County Sheriff's Office, Rose can be heard telling dispatchers that he didn't know why police were trying to stop him and didn't feel safe pulling over because he feared officers were "trying to kill him," The Associated Press reported. The dispatcher he spoke with told him to pull over and that police weren't trying to hurt him. Once Rose did stop, he at first refused to get out of the truck and then didn't immediately comply with orders to get on the ground. He eventually raised his hands and appeared to be surrendering when Speakman released the dog, according to body camera recordings. This despite a trooper repeatedly telling Speakman, "Do not release the dog with his hands up!" The dog can be seen attacking Rose, who begged officers to get the dog off him. Troopers can be heard yelling at Speakman to "Get the dog off him!" Rose was treated for dog bites and has been charged with failure to comply. We don't know why Speakman released the dog, but from the video it appears he should have known better. Certainly the troopers on the scene believed it was unnecessary and are to be commended for trying to stop Speakman. Perhaps it was a matter of training, as DeWine suggested. "There is no substitute for training," DeWine said. "Our big police departments are expertly trained, but when you get to smaller police departments, they may not have the resources to have that training that's needed." Big police departments aren't immune from problems, either, but DeWine is correct that better training would be helpful for smaller departments. DeWine called for the state to build a "scenario-based training facility" that would be funded in the state's next capital budget. He also wanted the General Assembly to set aside money so departments could use it at little or no cost, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Exactly what would be offered at the facility if it becomes a reality was still under discussion, according to Andy Wilson, the director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. At a minimum, de-escalation tactics and training on how to recognize and respond to mental health issues should be included. So should reviews of when — and when not — to use force. Indeed, we hope such training is part of what will be taught at a new facility that would be jointly operated by the Elyria Police Department and the FBI. The first phase of the project is expected to include multiple firing ranges, a support building and an indoor simulation building. We don't know the scope of what DeWine envisions, or whether he'll be able to secure funding for it, but it's possible that some of the training he wants could take place in Elyria. Nor should training be confined solely to police officers. Corrections officers also could benefit, as demonstrated by a recent incident at the Lorain County Jail in which Corrections Officer Brian Tellier threw inmate Jeffrey Fry to the ground, where he struck his head. Fry later was manhandled onto a gurney without the use of a backboard or a collar that are commonly used when back and neck injuries are suspected. In a jail surveillance recording, Fry appeared injured and unable to stand on his own. That incident is now the subject of an FBI investigation, although an internal probe determined that Tellier broke rules dealing with "physical mistreatment of a prisoner" and being dishonest about what happened. Despite those findings, he remained on active duty as of last week. Improved training would be a step toward better preparing officers to deal with the public in a fair and even-handed manner.