By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Prosecutors in Ohio said they want a felony charge dropped against an unarmed Black trucker who a police dog attacked last month.
After a brief chase, police stopped Jadarrius Rose, an unarmed truck driver, but despite having his hands up and surrendering and as several other officers implored a K-9 cop not to release his dog, the officer allowed the animal to attack Rose.
“When the dog was biting me, I just was terrified,” Rose told CNN last month.
“I thought I was going to lose my life. I was in pain. I really couldn’t see what the other officers were doing because the dog was biting me, and I was just in fear of my life. And I just was screaming in pain, and I just didn’t want to die.”
Rose suffered severe injuries from the K-9 attack.
Authorities said the chase occurred on Ohio Route 35 near Centerville after Rose’s truck was spotted by police missing a mud flap.
Officers said Rose failed to stop for an inspection.
Allegedly, Rose refused to exit the truck and defied orders to get on the ground.
While the dog was on Rose, a trooper yelled: “Get the dog off of him!”
Earlier, Ross frantically told a 911 dispatcher that the officers were “trying to kill” him and he did not feel safe pulling over.
He said he was unaware of why the police were stopping him and why they had their guns drawn.
The dispatcher told Rose to stop and comply with the police and assured him that the officers were not trying to harm him.
“There is insufficient evidence to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt,” that Rose’s operation of his truck caused a substantial risk of serious physical harm to people or property, attorney Jeffrey C. Marks told Judge Michael Ater.
Marks told the judge he may want to refile some of the charges later.
