*I got a police report on the incident, so this post was updated at 2:15 p.m. to reflect what's on record. Police have launched an internal affairs investigation after allegations surfaced that the suspect was beaten by police. Police declined to comment until the investigation is over.
Police allege that Aaron Christopher Pope used an officer's Taser to "dry stun" the officer during a struggle on Thursday.
Pope, 32, of 522 Columbus, is charged with robbery and felonious assault and was arraigned today in Toledo Municipal Court. His bond was set at $57,500.
And for the record, I do not yet have all of the reports on this incident, but I have asked for them, including what is up with Pope's neck brace, which he was still wearing today in court.
According to a Toledo police report, officers were called to a residence in the 2000 block of North Michigan Street on a report of domestic violence. No one answered the door, police reported, but they saw a man matching the description of a suspect walking in the area.
The suspect eventually saw police and fled, attempting to hide behind a bush, police said.
At gun point, police ordered Pope to the ground; he did not comply, police said.
Officer Carl Schwirzinski grabbed the suspect, taking him to the ground, where the suspect reportedly refused to put his hands behind his back to be handcuffed. Police report that they told the suspect several times to stop resisting, but the suspect did not, they said.
Police said hit the suspect with an open hand several times, but the blows were ineffective; police said they warned the suspect they would Tase if he did not comply.
Continuing to resist, Officer Schwirzinski Tased the suspect in the back; the suspect pulled the wires out and kicked the officer in his shins, according to the report. The suspect was again Tased, which was not effective. The suspect, on his knees, grabbed the officer's shirt and vest and another officer deployed his Taser into the suspect's back.
The suspect dropped to the ground and Officer Schwirzinski got on top of the suspect to restrain him, but the officer was kicked several more times.
The officer attempted to "dry-stun" (which basically means he tried to directly apply the Taser to the suspect), but the suspect then attempted to take the officer's Taser. The officer stunned the suspect in a hand. The second officer Tased the suspect again, though it was apparently ineffective, according to the report.
Officer Schwirzinski used his baton to hit the suspect -- who police said was continuing to attack the officer -- in the suspect's legs, arms, and shoulders. The blows, police said, were ineffective. The officer then began to hit the suspect on his head.
At this point, additional officers arrived. Sergeant Erik Welling reportedly kicked the suspect in an attempt to keep the suspect on the ground, although the suspect reportedly continued to fight, police reported.
Several other officers used their body weight to force the suspect to the ground where he was handcuffed. After being cuffed, the suspect continued to struggle.
The report states that tests performed at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center showed that the suspect had alcohol and cocaine in his system at the time of the arrest.
It appears that police were attempting to arrest Pope on Thursday, in the 2000 block of Chase in North Toledo, for several bench warrants. Officer Carl Schwirzinski was reportedly punched, kicked, and dry stunned -- which is a contact stun -- when the suspect allegedly took the officer's Taser.
According to court documents, the officer was treated for "minor injuries," at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center.
Pope was also treated at Mercy for unspecified injuries, according to court documents. While he was being treated by emergency medical staff, they reportedly found a baggie of cocaine "tucked in his genital area."
At the time of his arrest, Pope had two bench warrants out of Toledo Municipal Court for resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, stemming from a March 16 incident.
According to the documents, Pope was pounding on various doors in the 1700 and 1800 blocks of North Michigan. He was also allegedly yelling and throwing beer bottles. When he was placed under arrest, the suspect allegedly pulled away from the officer and tried to fight police.
The report from the March 16 incident states it took four Toledo police officers to get control of the suspect.
