The Toledo police officers involved in a Jan. 1 traffic stop that is now under internal investigation appeared to needlessly escalate the situation, including by immediately opening the car doors, two experts said.
"It's almost like they were looking for a fight," Philip Stinson, a criminal justice professor at Bowling Green State University, said of the officers after watching video of the encounter.
"I was a little concerned about the approach itself," including the officers' move to immediately get the occupants out of the car, said Marvin Whitfield, a former officer who conducts training for law enforcement, and also serves as president and chief executive of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Ohio.
The traffic stop occurred at about 3:30 a.m. on New Year's Day near the corner of Central Avenue and Maplewood Avenue after the car driven by Melvena Keith cut through an accident scene and appeared to narrowly avoid colliding with a tow truck. Less than three minutes later, following a struggle with officers Adam Hobbs and Ashlyn Pluff, both Ms. Keith and a passenger, Kaylynn Smart, were lying on the pavement handcuffed, videos show.
As the officers pull the car over, Officer Pluff can be heard saying: "I'm getting them out of the car." Officer Hobbs opens the passenger door first, and orders Ms. Smart out, followed by Officer Pluff opening her side and telling the driver, Ms. Keith, to step out. Neither woman immediately complies.
Mr. Whitfield said while every traffic stop is different, it appeared to be an unusual strategy. Usually an officer leaves the doors closed and first approaches the driver to explain why they are being stopped. Eventually, if needed, the driver could be ordered out and to the rear of the car.
"Once you open all doors," he said, "you can lose control."
Mr. Stinson agreed it's unusual — and potentially unsafe — for an officer to open the doors and "yank you out of the vehicle," unless in limited cases where a suspect is thought to be actively destroying evidence. He said the video seemed to show the officers "needlessly and recklessly" escalating the situation.
Moments after the doors are opened, Officer Hobbs pulls Ms. Smart out and tries to place handcuffs on her on the ground. He strikes her with a knee and punches her in the side. Officer Pluff tells Ms. Keith not to move from the driver's seat and comes to assist her partner.
Soon, though, Ms. Keith gets out and appears to start filming the altercation on the ground with her friend.
Mr. Whitfield said this appeared to be a risky moment for the officers. While pulling out the passenger first and then struggling to control her, the driver could have fled, or approached the officers with a gun, rather than her phone.
"It could be a very dangerous situation for the officers," Mr. Stinson said.
Eventually, Officer Pluff wrestles the driver, Ms. Keith, to the ground, and punches her several times, which a police report said was a defensive move because the woman was grabbing the officer's "weapon hand."
Both experts said it is important for people to quickly comply with police orders in such situations, which the women did not. Doing so can help avoid being arrested, injured, or killed, Mr. Whitfield noted.
But officers — even with their adrenaline pumping — should have the training not to increase the tension of such interactions, Mr. Stinson said.
"They should have the skillset to slow the situation down, and maintain control of the situation," he said.
Mr. Whitfield, a former Alabama officer who holds a doctorate in criminal justice, said video of the encounter was likely to fuel more distrust in law enforcement, especially in communities of color, given both officers are white, and the women are Black. Such interactions can further exacerbate recruiting challenges for the police, he added.
The episode remains under investigation by internal affairs, officials said this week. The two women face several misdemeanor charges in the incident.
A report written by the officers noted the car drove dangerously through the accident scene, and the women had not followed instructions. It said the driver appeared intoxicated and an open bottle of tequila was on the passenger side. It also said the women resisted arrest.
Officer Hobbs had used an “escort position” to remove Ms. Smart from the car, and “balance displacement and a takedown technique” to get her on the ground. It said the woman had struck the officer in the nose and cheek with a closed fist, and also scratched and bit him on the finger.
The report also says Ms. Keith had disobeyed an order to stay put, walked up to officers dealing with Ms. Smart, and resisted arrest by Officer Pluff, pushing and kicking. It said Officer Pluff had used “hair/head control techniques” — grabbing onto the woman’s hair — as well as “balance displacement, joint manipulations, and takedown techniques” to eventually arrest the driver with the help of Officer Hobbs.
A Toledo Police Patrolman’s Association representative declined to comment. Messages seeking comment on the stop were left with the officers.
First Published May 4, 2023, 11:00 a.m.
