![]() Once the criminal investigation is concluded, the statement continued, the division will conduct their own investigation into the officers’ alleged wrongdoing.ĭistrict Court Judge Algenon Marbley granted a preliminary injunction April 30 against the city’s police force, barring officers from using tear gas, pepper spray, wooden bullets and other “nonlethal force,” against nonviolent protests. The sergeant was charged with falsifying information about a protester’s actions against another officer as well as dereliction of duty.Īll three officers have been placed on administrative duties pending the outcome of the criminal investigation, Columbus police said in a statement. Two of the officers were charged with assault, dereliction of duty and interfering with protesters’ civil rights. “We appreciate the community’s patience over the past year while we have made continued attempts to interview witnessing officers and identify officers committing the alleged misconduct during the protests.” “I was asked by the City of Columbus to independently evaluate the allegations of police misconduct from last summer’s protests so that both citizens and police officers are held to the same standard of accountability,” Garber said in a statement. The special prosecutors were hired by the city to conduct the investigation. The misdemeanor charges follow a federal judge’s ruling in April that the division mishandled the protests and used force against protesters without provocation. Special prosecutor Kathleen Gerber and independent investigator Rick Wozniak announced the first charges against two officers and a sergeant with the Columbus Division of Police in an ongoing investigation into the division’s handling of days of intense protests that engulfed the city last May and June. The report also will include research-informed recommendations for how the city can improve its response to future protests.Ĭompletion of the report is expected by early 2021.COLUMBUS – A special prosecutor charged three Columbus police officers Wednesday for alleged misconduct in their handling of demonstrators during the protests last summer following the killing of George Floyd. ![]() The team will use the information to produce a report analyzing the city’s effectiveness in preparing for and handling the protests, including an evaluation of the balance struck between public safety and freedom of speech. Investigators and researchers will review information collected and interview people who were involved. The research team also includes nationally known experts in the fields of civil rights, law enforcement, organizational behavior, First Amendment rights, social media and public policy. “We want to hear from participants about their experiences in the protests, which will be vital to the outcome of the research.” Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and special investigative researcher for the project. “We will include information from involved government agencies and officers, police training policies and protocols, incident reports from the police as well as other relevant data in our review,” said Carter M. This appraisal, which will culminate with a written report presented to City Council, will be a holistic, policy review of the city’s response and is separate from the recent investigations into individual officers’ actions during the protests. Hardin and Police Chief Thomas Quinlan announced the independent, outside after-action review of the city’s response to recent protests in July. “Our goal is to gather as much information as possible about the protests of this summer and use this information to undertake an objective assessment that leads to constructive recommendations.”Ĭolumbus City Attorney Zach Klein, Mayor Andrew J. “Following The Ohio State University’s research protocols, we will take extensive steps to protect the confidentiality of people who agree to participate in the research study,” said Trevor Brown, dean of Ohio State’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs, who is directing the research project. ![]() A study team member will contact those individuals to schedule an interview. ![]() Individuals who want to share their protest experience are asked to call 1-80 or visit to express interest in participating in the study. The team has created a hotline and website to collect information from people who participated in the protests or were directly affected by the protests. The time frame under review is to July 19, 2020. A review team, supported by researchers at The Ohio State University, is conducting an independent, after-action research review of Columbus’ response to protests this summer.
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