Akron Police Release Bodycam Footage Of Officers Punching Man After Videos Appear On Social Media

1 year ago 126

Akron, Ohio (APD / News Release) — On Saturday, July 1st, 2023, just before 7:00 p.m., Akron Police officers performed a registration check on a vehicle that possessed a temporary tag. The report back was the plate was expired and warrants for 31-year-old Jordan Ely Sr. were linked to it. Officers verified the warrants were still active, but lost sight of the vehicle for a short period of time. The car was found in the parking lot of Family Dollar, 970 Copley Rd, with the driver standing next to it. As officers pulled up and exited the cruiser, the driver and suspect, Ely Sr. reached towards the open car door, and then started to turn away as one of the officers attempted to grab his left arm to prevent him from fleeing. Ely began to back pedal while officers were attempting to gain control of him. One officer grabbed Ely by the waist and took him to the ground.

Verbal commands were given to Ely to put his hands behind his back and to stop resisting. Ely did not comply, and officers continued to try to separate his hands to safely handcuff the suspect. Videos taken by witnesses at the scene show the officers struggling with the driver, with one officer appearing to strike the man in the face several times. Once Ely was handcuffed, he was moved to a seated position and EMS was called to the scene for an evaluation. One of the officers discovered a small child inside the vehicle. The child, Ely’s 1-year-old son, was released into the custody of the boy’s mother. Inside the vehicle, officers found a baggie containing a powder that field tested positive for Fentanyl. Ely had warrants for felony drug possession, domestic violence, and contempt of court warrants for several other charges. He was additionally charged with Obstructing Official Business, Resisting Arrest, and felony possession of drugs.