- An Ohio officer used a knee-on-neck restraint on a 15-year-old girl, echoing the George Floyd case.
- The department has placed the officer on leave and is reviewing the incident, but the teen faces charges.
- Community members argue the force used was unnecessary, even if the arrest was justified.
You’d think that after the George Floyd murder that shook America to it’s core, that police officers, who know they are being recorded both by body camera and the public, would abandon techniques and practices that will stir outrage. That would be giving them far more credit than they deserve…
According to Cleveland.com, an Ohio police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave after video from a Juneteenth celebration in Elyria showed him appearing to press his leg and knee against a 15-year-old girl’s upper back and neck area during an arrest. The disturbing footage quickly spread online, prompting community members, civil rights advocates, and local officials to question why such a tactic was used on a teenager in the first place.
According to authorities, the confrontation unfolded in Ely Square after the city’s Juneteenth festival had ended. Police said officers were attempting to address a disturbance involving a group of teenagers. A 14-year-old boy was initially detained for disorderly conduct, and the situation escalated when his 15-year-old sister became involved. Officers claimed the girl ignored commands, used profane language, and physically resisted efforts to take her into custody as a crowd gathered around the scene.
The most controversial moment occurred when several officers struggled to restrain the girl on the ground. Video showed one officer assuming a top-mounted position and applying pressure with his shin and leg near the teen’s neck and upper back while other officers attempted to handcuff her. The image immediately alarmed witnesses because it echoed the type of restraint that became synonymous with George Floyd’s death at the hands of Derek Chauvin and the nationwide demands for police reform that followed.
One woman charged in connection with the incident, 48-year-old Ciera Ramon, said the girl was already subdued when the officer placed pressure near her neck, arguing that police should have learned from the lessons of Floyd’s killing. Community members similarly emphasized that their concern was not whether the teen should have been arrested, but whether the force used against her was necessary.
After reviewing body-camera footage, Elyria Police Chief James Welsh said he had concerns about the officer’s actions and placed him on paid leave pending an internal investigation. The department has pledged a full review of the conduct of all officers involved. Meanwhile, the teen faces several charges, including resisting arrest and obstructing official business.
“While the conduct of individuals involved in this incident remains subject to the criminal justice process, we also hold our officers to the highest professional standards,” Welsh said. “The actions of all officers involved will be thoroughly reviewed in accordance with department policy, training, and established procedures.”
Elyria Mayor James Brubaker also spoke publicly about why the officer in question was put on leave.
“After reviewing the footage, I had strong concerns regarding one officer’s actions,” Brubaker said. “Chief Welsh shared those concerns, and I appreciate his decision to release the footage quickly and take immediate steps to address those concerns.
This situation has reignited a disturbing question that many Black Americans thought had already been answered after Floyd’s death: why are officers still using restraint techniques that so closely resemble one of the most notorious examples of excessive force in modern policing?
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