CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — The City of Circleville reached settlements with a former officer and a man who was attacked by a police K-9 following a chase last summer.
Ryan Speakman, who was terminated from the Circleville Police Department, will receive a $40,000 settlement from the city. Additionally, he will voluntarily resign from the police department and records of his termination will be removed from his personnel file.
Jaddarius Rose, the man who was bitten by the K-9, will receive a $225,000 settlement.
In July 2023, troopers tried pulling over a semitruck in Jackson County on U.S. Route 35 to inspect the vehicle for a missing rear mudflap, but it did not stop, according to an incident report from the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Circleville officers were called in to assist.
Rose did not stop for at least 20 minutes. Once he did stop, officers exited their vehicles with guns drawn and Rose pulled away.
The chase eventually ended once Rose drove over a spike strip, ripping away one of his left tires. Officers asked Rose to exit the truck, but he remained inside and called 911.
Bodycam footage from OSHP showed Rose exiting the truck and a trooper could be heard yelling “Come to me!”
As troopers tried to take him into custody, there was confusion over whether a K-9 should be released.
One trooper repeatedly told the Circleville officer to not release the K-9 while Rose had his hands up.
The trooper repeated that statement for a third time. Despite the warning from the trooper, the video showed the K9 approaching the driver. Rose was kneeling with his hands out at that time.
Multiple officers were then heard yelling, “Get the dog off of him!”
After Rose was apprehended by officers, another trooper was heard saying, “Was I not loud enough?”
Speakman was terminated from the police department as he “did not meet the standards and expectations we hold for our police officers,” Circleville police said.
Following his termination, Speakman filed a grievance as he felt his firing was not for “just cause,” according to court records.
President of the Columbus branch of the NAACP, Nana Watson, said that the money awarded won’t erase what Rose experienced.
“He should have received a payment. He was the one that was attacked by the dog. I don’t know if $225,000 is going to erase that moment and what he experienced during that time. A dog being unleashed on him, I’m sure that will be with him forever,” she said.
Rose was charged with fleeing after committing a felony, but a prosecutor asked the judge to drop the charges because there was “insufficient evidence to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt” that he caused a substantial risk of serious physical harm to people or property.
An arbitration hearing is set to take place on Feb. 21.
10TV reached out to the city of Circleville who said they have no comment at this time.
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