In the body worn camera footage released by the Washington Police Department, the suspect can be seen running toward the officer just as he is about to be tased. The man later died at Adena Fayette Medical Center.
WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — More details and body camera footage have been released concerning the death of a man who was tased by a police officer on Sunday during a foot pursuit.
At 6:09 p.m. Sunday, a Washington Court House Police Department officer made a traffic stop on a vehicle in the 300 block of Gregg Street. According to reports, the vehicle stopped at 6:10 p.m. in the 400 block of Gregg Street.
In the video released to the Record-Herald from the officer’s body worn camera, a male passenger is shown fleeing on foot from the vehicle as the officer approaches at 6:10 and 17 seconds. The officer can be seen pursuing the man, who ran through yards and between pine bushes next to 415 Gregg St. and to the rear of that residence.
As the officer entered the opening to the pine bushes, the camera shows the suspect running around the corner of the house and back toward the officer. At this time, the officer deployed his taser at 6:10 and 35 seconds. The man is shown immediately falling to the ground and the officer then secures him in handcuffs.
In the video, cash can be seen falling from the man’s hands while he is on the ground.
At 6:12 p.m., the officer requested EMS to the scene. At 6:14 p.m., a backup unit arrived on the scene and observed the suspect not breathing. At this time, officers began life-saving measures until 6:17 p.m. when EMS arrived and took over.
Please visit the Record-Herald Facebook page to see the full video from the officer’s body worn camera.
The suspect was transported to Adena Fayette Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 7 p.m.
The name of the suspect and officer involved in the Taser incident have not been released due to Marsy’s Law and Ohio Revised Code 149.43, according to Washington Police Chief Jeff Funari.
As previously reported by the Record-Herald, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident. The officer involved in the incident is currently on paid administrative leave.
At the time of the traffic stop, the suspect had an indictment through the Fayette County Common Pleas Court for aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the third degree, according to police. Police said he was in possession of drug paraphernalia and suspected narcotics at the time of the incident.
The driver of the vehicle was not charged, according to police, and the drug investigation is closed due to the death of the suspect.
The cause of death is still unknown at this time, police said. Results from the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office are still pending.
