Man who ‘may have had a weapon’ forcibly detained by Ohio State police on campus
The incident took place around noon on Monday
UPDATE [3:53pm]: The Ohio State University Police Chief Craig Stone has released a statement about today’s incident:
“Earlier today, The Ohio State University Police Division responded to an urgent report that a person may intend to harm himself and may have a weapon. Officers quickly located the individual. Based on their observations at the scene, they took action deemed necessary to protect the safety of all. The individual was not arrested and no injuries have been reported. He was transported to the hospital for a well-being check, which is standard protocol when police believe an individual may harm themselves. Ohio State Police will thoroughly review this incident, as we do all such cases. The safety and security of the campus community is our number one priority.”
A video shows an Ohio State police officer detaining a man on campus by throwing him to the ground behind Thomson Library on Neil Ave.
The man can be heard repeatedly asking the officer “What am I being arrested for?” The officer then puts his bag to the ground and tries to arrest him. The man can be seen resisting and the officer throws him to the ground while another officer runs to the scene.
The officers can be seen holding the man down as they handcuff him. The man was then put in the back of an Ohio State police car. At least four officers were on the scene. Following the incident, Ohio State PD tweeted saying they “were responding to an urgent report of a person who may harm himself and may have had a weapon.”
Ohio State sophomore Leonna Bell witnessed and recorded the arrest. She told The Tab Ohio State she only started feeling unsafe when the officer started circling the area.
Bell told The Tab Ohio State that she noticed something strange was going on when she saw the man was being followed. “A single police officer was following [the man] for a couple blocks. I felt unsafe myself and began recording,” she explained.
When asked if she felt unsafe by the man before the arrest, Bell responded, “I never would have thought anything about the situation until I saw the cop circling on his bike. Even after his detainment he was not the concern–the police were with their actions.”
Bell said the officer never explained why he was detaining the man.
The man has now been taken to the hospital. Ohio State Police said the man wasn’t arrested and “officers took action deemed necessary to protect the safety of all.”
The Tab Ohio State has reached out to Ohio State for comment and will continue to update this story as it unfolds.
Please see the below statement from Chief regarding today’s incident.
Statement from The Ohio State University Police Chief Craig Stone
Earlier today, The Ohio State University Police Division responded to an urgent report that a person may intend to harm himself and may have a weapon. Officers quickly located the individual. Based on their observations at the scene, they took action deemed necessary to protect the safety of all. The individual was not arrested and no injuries have been reported. He was transported to the hospital for a well-being check, which is standard protocol when police believe an individual may harm themselves. Ohio State Police will thoroughly review this incident, as we do all such cases. The safety and security of the campus community is our number one priority.
The man has not yet been identified.
More to follow.