Special to 1808Delaware
A statement from Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler:
A Westerville Division of Police (WPD) officer responded to a theft in progress at Meijer on Sunday night, December 10, 2023.
The officer approached the suspect, who resisted arrest. He attempted to run from the sole officer on site. Additional officers responded to the scene.
A physical struggle took place to secure handcuffs on the suspect. Both the officer and the suspect were injured and treated at local medical facilities.
The suspect was transported to the Delaware County Jail without further incident.
This incident is under investigation by the WPD Professional Standards Bureau. If anyone else has additional evidence to provide, such as other video or photos, please send them to [email protected].
STATEMENT FROM CHARLES CHANDLER, WESTERVILLE CHIEF OF POLICE:
“The body-worn camera (BWC) shows a physical struggle initiated by Mr. Ernest Fields when resisting arrest.
I take very seriously any use of force conducted by this agency and its officers. In law enforcement, these incidents often appear shocking and cause public concern.
We are aware of the video distributed by NBC4 that shows one perspective of the arrest. Based on this video alone, the public’s concern is understandable. That film will be reviewed by the WPD Professional Standards bureau as a piece of evidence in the overall investigation.
We have an investigation to conduct, but here’s what I can tell you at this point.
Officers are prepared to potentially place themselves in harm’s way with little information or facts, requiring them to take action in situations that are tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving.
Mr. Fields was initially reported as a suspect of theft from Meijer. Investigators believe he may have resisted arrest due to an outstanding felony warrant for arson in Franklin County.
From the perspective of the officer’s BWC, you can see the officer is alone when the suspect begins to resist, becomes combative and attempts to flee the scene. Within minutes, additional WPD officers responded and the suspect was eventually controlled.
Both the suspect and the officer received minor injuries from the struggle. Both were treated and released at local medical facilities.
Because the officer is included as a victim, the officer’s identity is protected by Marsy’s Law.
The actions in this case will be thoroughly investigated to ensure compliance with the policies, training and expectations that WPD has for every one of our officers.
I want to emphasize our mission is to protect our community’s safety and uphold the highest standards of performance. As Chief, it is my responsibility to ensure we meet these high standards in everything we do, in service to both the men and women of this agency and the trust of the City of Westerville.“
TRAINING, SAFETY and POLICIES
Please refer to www.westerville.org/publictrust for WPD’s policies and procedures on training, safety measures and protocols. These protocols include best practices for law enforcement stops and interactions.
BODY-WORN CAMERA FROM WPD OFFICERS
Meijer Security Footage
Officer Body Camera Footage
Source: City of Westerville
