Protesters took over last night's Columbus City Council meeting for nearly two hours, reiterating demands made last week to fire the white police officers captured on video beating a black man during an arrest on September 1st. Nearly a dozen protestors spoke and dozens of others were in the chambers asking for answers following the arrest of 31-year-old Timothy Davis.
One of the officers, Joseph Bogard, was placed on desk duty last week after his body camera video captured him saying he wanted to choke the life out of Davis. Davis’ mother, Valerie Johnson, said police had a plan to kill her son. The protest happened hours after Davis filed a civil rights lawsuit against police and the city. It alleges police officials fail to properly train, supervise, monitor, counsel or discipline officers who use excessive force against civilians, in particular blacks. Johnson and her attorney, Andrew Stroth, say they want justice for Davis and changes in the police division.
The lawsuit's allegations are similar to those made in a suit filed by the Justice Department against police and the city in the late 1990s. The suit was settled out of court with a consent decree in the early 2000s that promised police reforms. City officials have declined comment on the suit and council members made no comments during last night's protest.