Was A Missing Mudflap The Reason A Black Man Was Bitten By A K-9 Police Dog In Ohio?

By James B. Ewers, Jr., Ed. D.

Waking up in the morning starts an uncertain and even perilous day for Black men in America. Depending upon our actions and decision-making, unexpected outcomes can occur.

I have learned that we can never drop our guard. We must stay tuned in to our environment and our surroundings.

We know an expression quite well: “giving you the benefit of the doubt.” Do African American men get the benefit of the doubt? I don’t think that we do.

We know too well the many cases in which African American men were shot and killed. We also know of cases involving us being convicted and later released because of insufficient evidence.

These turns of injustice have made us fear the police and the criminal justice system.

When we see the police driving behind us, we cringe because we are unsure what will happen. We panic. This fear overtook an African American man recently in Ohio. Thankfully, law enforcement did not shoot this Black man.

On July 4, 2023,  Jadarrius Rose, 23 years old, was driving a semi-truck. According to reports, the truck was missing a mudflap. Mr. Rose did not stop initially, and a chase ensued.

When the officers finally stopped him, he held his hands up. Video footage heard a state trooper saying, “Do not release the dog.” The state trooper made this statement more than one time.

Circleville, Ohio, police officer Ryan Speakman released the K9, and the K9 bit Jadarrius Rose, and emergency medical procedures took him to the hospital. Reports indicate that he was bleeding heavily.

Reports said that Rose told 911 dispatchers in two calls that he did not know why he was being pulled over. He said, “Right now, I’m being chased by like 20 police officers, and they all got their guns pointed directly at my truck.” Rose added, “And it’s not even my truck. I’m just driving to my delivery point.”

There are a few questions regarding what happened at the scene. Mr. Rose was afraid, so he did not stop originally–he did what a lot of Black men would have done–panicked. At the moment of decision, as Black men, we all wonder, am I going to be killed?

Did the police officer hear the state trooper’s command not to release the dog? Did the police officer see Rose with his hands held up? We can only speculate about the answers to those questions. Officials will release the full report in the coming days.

Mr. Rose was held in jail for three days because he led the police on a chase. Yet why did he have to remain in jail for three days? Remember the “benefit of the doubt expression.”

The Circleville Mayor stated that “nothing like this should have ever happened to anybody” and that “it’s just a very unfortunate situation.”

Looking back on this “unfortunate situation,” I wonder why these situations happen repeatedly to Black men. Would this have happened if the driver had been White and 23 years of age?

First and foremost, he would have stopped and issued a warning or a ticket for not having a mudflap. Second, there would have been no need for additional police officers or K9 units, and third, spending time in jail would have never happened.

What transpired in this case is just another example of what happens to Black men in the United States of America. We do not get the “benefit of the doubt.” We get charged. We get shot. We get records.

Will that change? What do you think?