CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio (WOSU) — The city of Circleville is settling with both former Officer Ryan Speakman and the man who Speakman ordered his K-9 police dog to bite as the man was surrendering to police last year.
Under the terms of the settlement, the truck driver Jaddarius Rose will receive $225,000 from the city while Speakman gets $40,000. The city will also remove mention of why Speakman was fired from the department from his personnel record and allow Speakman to purchase the K-9, named Serj, from the city for $1.
In July of last year, Rose led police on a multi-county chase between Jackson County and Pickaway County and refused to pull over for police until his tires were blown out by spike strips on Route 35. Rose is shown on body camera footage outside of the vehicle surrendering to police with his hands up when Speakman arrived on scene and ordered the police dog to attack Rose.
This image taken from police body cam video shows a police dog attacking Jadarrius Rose, 23, of Memphis, Tennessee on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, in Circleville, Ohio. An investigation has been launched into why an Ohio officer allowed his police dog to attack a truck driver who was surrendering with his hands raised, despite State Highway Patrol troopers urging the officer to hold the dog back. [Ohio State Highway Patrol via AP]As the dog attacked, other officers on scene are heard telling Speakman to call off his dog.
The dog tackled Rose, biting his arm and taking him to the ground until officers removed the dog.
Speakman was later fired from the Circleville Police Department following a review of his actions during and following Rose’s arrest. Shortly following Speakman’s firing, the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association police union filed a grievance with the city on behalf of Speakman alleging his firing was not for “just cause.”
Speakman’s actions the day he ordered the police dog to bite Rose were not the primary reason he was fired. Records obtained by WOSU show Speakman was fired primarily because Circleville Police Chief G. Shawn Baer also ordered Speakman not to talk about the incident to others in the department, but Speakman refused to comply.
Under the terms of Speakman’s agreement he will get the lump sum payment and also submit a voluntary letter of resignation effective July 25, 2023 to the city instead of being fired, which will appear in his personnel file. All records related to him being fired will be removed, including withdrawing any findings from the city’s investigation into his actions.Neither the city or Speakman will admit wrongdoing in the matter of his employment under the agreement.
Under Rose’s settlement agreement the city also included a cause where the city does not admit any wrongdoing.
The charges Rose faced in Ross County for failing to comply with officers the day of his arrest were dismissed in court in August last year.
