Twitter Ohio police officer Jordan Moore has been suspended for 60 days after he was seen dragging a handcuffed teen for several feet.
An Ohio police officer has been suspended with pay after a viral video captured him dragging a Black, handcuffed teen across the pavement.
Mansfield Police Chief Keith Porch announced on October 19 that Officer Jordan Moore violated department policy earlier this month. Moore was filmed on October 12 dragging a handcuffed minor from one side of a squad car to the other, according to the police department. It is unclear why he initially stopped the teen, who was riding in a car with his dad.
Bystander footage, which quickly went viral, shows the father and his son on the ground surrounded by a group of cops. Moore then drags the teen, who does not resist, by the back of his hoodie for several feet, according to the clip. The dad is then seen being shoved into the squad car.
“There was no immediate need or emergency for Officer Moore to take the action of dragging the arrestee,” Porch said in his news release.
Moore, who has been with the department for two years, is now facing a 60 day suspension with pay from October 20 until January 11, according to Porch. He will also partake in training prior to his return.
Heavy has reached out to the Mansfield Police Department and is awaiting a response.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Teen Was Not Resisting & Moore Did Not Give Him a Warning to Comply, Porch Says
Internal investigators determined that Moore grabbed the teen “without warning” and dragged him for several feet, according to the department’s press release. The act was “found to be improper” and resulted in the “misapplication of force used on a person that was handcuffed,” Porch continued in the statement.
“Officer Moore grabbed the hooded sweatshirt of a juvenile detainee without warning or instruction to comply with orders and dragged him several feet, while he was still handcuffed and in a seated position to the rear passenger side of a patrol car,” the release indicated.
Video shows Moore dragging the teen by his grey hoodie as he remains in a seated position with his legs dragging behind him. The teen is also heard asking why the arrest was happening, but his questions were unanswered.
Investigators noted that the teen’s father resisted stepping into the squad car, but claimed there was “no immediate need or emergency” for Moore to act the way he did.
Footage of the Arrest Went Viral, Sparking a Wave of Backlash Online
Cop in Ohio is on paid suspension for 60 days after dragging a handcuffed minor
Footage of the encounter quickly went viral on social media.
The Mansfield Police Department announced on October 13 that they were “looking into the video that has been circulating on social media sites.”
“We understand the concerns that have been raised by the incident and are currently reviewing any and all video associated with the arrests,” Porch expressed.
The popular Twitter account, “Fifty Shades of Whey,” shared the video on October 25 with the caption: “Cop in Ohio is on paid suspension for 60 days after dragging a handcuffed minor.”
The tweet has since amassed nearly 40,000 views, invoking a wave of criticism toward the cop’s behavior.
While some users questioned Moore’s psychological capacity, others pondered why he didn’t better communicate with the teen.
“Also, why can’t the police TALK to people?? The kid asked why this was happening and they just ignored him as if he wasn’t entitled to any communication. They just want to rough Black people up. Racist pigs,” one user wrote.
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