Video shows Ohio officer kick man in chest as he's kneeling on the ground with his hands up

A video posted on social media over the weekend shows Canton, Ohio, police surrounding a man kneeling on the ground with his hands raised as an officer suddenly runs up and kicks him in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

In a statement, the Canton Police Department identified the man as Jaemiier McElroy, 21, and the officer who kicked him as Brandon Momirov.

The statement said police responded to reports of an argument Saturday night. Multiple people fled when police arrived, including a person who was alleged to be carrying a firearm, said the statement, which said suspects "appeared to be complying when Officer Brandon Momirov kicked Jaemiier McElroy ... in the chest."

McElroy was taken to a hospital and remains in "a lot of pain," said his attorney, Bobby DiCello.

Police said that Momirov remains employed and that his actions are under review. Momirov did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A police report showed that McElroy and two other men were arrested on suspicion of "obstructing official business" and resisting arrest.

"Our officers frequently face stressful, dangerous situations and confrontations with armed suspects," Police Chief John Gabbard said in a statement. "Their dedication to the community has resulted in exceptional reductions in violence, especially gun violence, over the past two years."

DiCello dismissed the statement as “laughable.”

He said he's working on six cases of alleged police violence involving Canton officers. Three of the men in those cases died, and three, including McElroy, were seriously injured, DiCello said. All six cases have occurred since Jan. 1, 2022, spanning the two years Gabbard referred to.

First was the death of James Williams, 46, who fired celebratory gunshots from his yard on New Year’s Day 2022 before a Canton police officer shot and killed him. A grand jury declined to indict the officer.

Then there was Zachary Fornash, 24, who was accused of brandishing a pellet gun. Body camera video showed Fornash turning to face police just before an officer shot him. He died at the scene.

In April of this year, Frank Tyson, 53, died in police custody after he repeatedly told officers “I can’t breathe,” drawing comparisons to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The coroner’s office ruled his death a homicide.

In May, a Canton officer unleashed a K-9 German shepherd on Kieven Conver, who was already face down and being held down by other officers after a traffic stop. Video showed the dog gnawing on Conver for about 20 seconds. The officer who deployed the dog was fired.

In the same incident, police arrested and punched a man and called him horrific names when he tried to stop the dog attack, DiCello said.

Canton police have not responded to multiple requests for comment on the incidents.

“There’s a group of people in Canton that are law enforcement officers who are treating ordinary civilians like enemy combatants,” DiCello said.

Canton, about 60 miles south of Cleveland, has a population of roughly 70,000.

DiCello said the frequency of violent police incidents since 2022 was alarming.

“If this was in another context, you’d say that’s a crime spree,” he said.