SPD investigating officers’ use of force in Wednesday traffic stop arrests
During a Wednesday afternoon traffic stop, seven SPD officers arrested two men, took them to the ground and struck one man multiple times. Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile said the department is investigating the officers for violating SPD policy and procedure. Meghan Hendricks | Senior Staff Photographer
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The Syracuse Police Department is investigating its officers’ use of force in an arrest made Wednesday afternoon. Chief of Police Joe Cecile said body camera evidence showed policy and procedure violations that would be addressed with discipline and retraining in a Thursday evening statement.
An Instagram video of the incident has circulated on social media, showing SPD officers taking two men to the ground during the arrest.
During a traffic stop, seven SPD officers arrested two men, took them to the ground and struck one man multiple times for allegedly failing to comply with their demands and resisting arrest, Cecile said in the statement. The officers’ documented actions have faced backlash on social media.
Cecile said the officers struck one of the men while attempting to handcuff him.
“I realize the optics of strikes to the face and head are always bad, but if done with control and purpose, they are within policy and within DCJS standards,” Cecile wrote in the statement. “The purpose of these strikes is to force the arrestee to raise his hands so officers can take his wrists and place him into custody.”
The incident, which took place at the intersection of South and Bellevue Avenues at around 3 p.m. Wednesday, began when SPD officers pulled over a car for vehicle and traffic violations, Cecile said. He said neither man could provide a valid driver’s license, leading the officers to tow the car.
Cecile said the officers told both men, identified as 21-year-old driver Jaumar Chandler Jr. and 22-year-old passenger Antal Tatum, they could exit the car and use their phones while keeping their hands visible. Once he stepped out of the car, Chandler was placed in handcuffs and arrested “without force” for allegedly failing to keep his hands in the officer’s line of sight, Cecile said.
After he was initially arrested, officers placed Chandler in the patrol car, where he allegedly threatened to shoot and spit on officers and made other derogatory comments, Cecile said.
Chandler was then taken out of the car and allegedly spit “in the direction of” an officer, Cecile said. Officers pushed him to the ground to arrest him for alleged harassment. Chandler reportedly refused to comply, and an officer struck him three “controlled” times on his head and face while other officers handcuffed him, Cecile said.
Officers also handcuffed Tatum and forced him to the ground after he allegedly interfered with Chandler’s arrest. SPD charged Tatum with obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest, Cecile said.
According to Policy 300 in SPD’s Policy Manual, which outlines appropriate uses of force for officers, SPD responds with force to interactions after considering factors like subject-officer dynamics, resistance, immediacy, seriousness of the incident, possession of the weapon and the subject’s emotional, verbal or physical reaction.
SPD is still investigating the incident. SPD did not release the names of the involved officers.
