Video shows Westerville police hitting, Tasing suspect accused of stealing Pokémon cards
Westerville police are continuing to look into the circumstances surrounding an altercation between officers and a theft suspect that was partially captured on video by an employee of a local TV station.
The video, reportedly taken by an employee of Nexstar, the parent company for WCMH-NBC4, shows arresting officers striking a man suspected of stealing nearly $700 in Pokémon cards from a business.
The incident began around 10:25 p.m. Sunday when security personnel from the Meijer, located at 100 Polaris Parkway in Westerville, called police to report the theft, according to a police report from Westerville police. The security employee, who was calling from another location and was watching the incident on the store's video cameras, said the suspect had walked out of the store.
A store employee had approached the suspect, identified as 35-year-old Ernest Fields, of Lancaster, but Fields had ignored her and got into the front passenger seat of a vehicle that was still in the parking lot, police said.
A Westerville police officer approached Fields and tried to handcuff him. The officer said Fields tried to run from him in the parking lot, pushed him and a struggle ensued. The police report notes that another officer had heard the officer who was struggling with Fields over the radio and sounds of a scuffle.
The police report also notes that the security employee saw the fight taking place on the store's security cameras.
The officer "reported that it felt to him like Fields was attempting to take him to the ground during the struggle to handcuff Fields."
During this struggle, the TV station employee began filming the encounter on a cell phone. The video shows the first responding officer on top of Fields, who is on the ground, and hitting Fields in his upper body or head area. Fields can be heard saying "I'm sorry" and appears to put his hands over the back of his head.
Two other Westerville police officers arrived a short time later, according to the report and the video, the officers managed to take Fields into custody. The report does not make mention of any other altercation, however, the video shows the officers physically engaging with Fields again while he was on the ground and a Taser being used.
According to the narrative of one of the officers on the scene, Fields "continued actively resisting our attempts to secure his hands by pulling his arms under his body and trying to roll over."
Fields was taken to Mount Carmel St. Ann's Hospital for treatment of injuries. His mugshot at the Delaware County jail shows him with what appear to be bruises and cuts on his face, and a black eye. It is not known if those injuries came from the altercation with police or if Fields had any of those markings prior to the police altercation.
Two of the officers involved had minor injuries, to include a scrape that bled and swelling to the wrist.
The first officer's name is redacted from the police report.
Court records identify the officer by the initials "DG." Only one officer currently employed by Westerville police has those initials, according to a roster of active officers posted on the Ohio Attorney General's website.
That officer, whom the Dispatch is not naming at this time because his identity has not been confirmed, has three and a half years of police experience. The officer worked for two years for Columbus police before joining Westerville police in June 2021.
The Pokémon trading cards were found inside the vehicle Fields was in, and other cards that appeared to have been stolen from another unknown location. Police also found several containers that had white powder in them, which is suspected to be drugs and is awaiting lab testing.
The police report said Fields told officers the substance was cocaine but told staff at Mount Carmel St. Ann's Hospital that he used methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Fields has been charged with assault on a police officer, a fourth-degree felony, in Delaware County Common Pleas Court. As of Tuesday morning, he was not facing any theft charges or charges related to the suspected drugs. Additional charges could be filed at a later date.
Court records says that Fields is currently being held in the Delaware County jail and is scheduled to have an initial appearance Tuesday afternoon.
Fields is also being held on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear for a sentencing hearing in an unrelated felony arson case in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. According to court records in that case, a warrant was signed by a judge in November after Fields failed to appear for a Nov. 8 hearing.
The Dispatch has requested body camera video of Sunday's incident from Westerville police, and a copy of any use of force reports completed by officers.
Westerville police are investigating the incident internally to determine if any policies were violated.
Brian Steel, Executive Vice President for the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9, which represents Westerville police officers, said the incident will be investigated to determine what occurred.
"It was just a snippet of a video," Steel said. "It will be investigated and if the officer was wrong, they'll be held accountable and if the officer wasn't, the investigation will prove that."
bbruner@dispatch.com
@bethany_bruner
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Westerville police caught on video hitting, Tasing theft suspect
