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Ohio's law enforcement agencies have made progress in providing better training and resources to officers as they work to avoid the sometimes-deadly incidents of excessive force. Not everyone got the memo, it seems.
Late last month, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction released video of the events leading up to the February death of Michael McDaniel, a 55-year-old Columbus man. The video shows McDaniel being pulled out of his cell by two guards who then take him out of view of security cameras, topple him to the floor and handcuff him. Other staff escort McDaniel out of the housing unit as he appears compliant.
But the handcuffed man is repeatedly shoved to the floor, tackled and even has his face pushed into a snow bank. The video shows McDaniel collapsing 10 times before staff put him on a bench inside the medical clinic. The Columbus Dispatch reports a nurse did not do a standard exam or check his vital signs. Another nurse signed a falsified form saying McDaniel refused medical treatment.
After the clinic, McDaniel collapses again as officers try to take him to disciplinary housing.
He died later that day.
A state police investigation of the incident shows the initial use of force by officers was justified. Everything that happened once McDaniel was pulled from his cell was not. Some of those involved have resigned, others are on paid leave -- a total of 10 people are part of the investigation, in which the Franklin County Coroner has determined the manner of death to be homicide.
Pickaway County Prosecutor Judy Wolford has not yet reviewed the report, according to the Dispatch. Should Wolford find sufficient evidence a crime has taken place, the prosecution should be vigorous against those who abused their positions of power.