Columbus Police officer Joseph Bogard was disciplined this week for comments made after an arrest. A look at Bogard's personnel file reveals the officer got into trouble for coarse language in the past.
Bogard was relieved of duty Wednesday for what Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs called "inappropriate and unprofessional comments" following the September 1 arrest of Timothy Davis.
In body camera video after the arrest, Bogard was recorded asking another officer, "What did we tase him for? Why don't we choke the f— life out of him?"
Records show Bogard used profanity towards a citizen in November 2014, which "violated the accepted standards for an employee of the Division of Police." The file said a superior reviewed the rules of conduct with Bogard, but no other discipline was reported.
The People's Justice Project and eight families of black men who have been killed by Columbus Police protested at Monday's City Council meeting, demanding an investigation into the arrest. A Facebook video of the arrest showed multiple officers punching and kicking Davis inside a convenience store, as well as yelling profanities.
The organization also released a list of community demands for City Council, included ending the Community Safety Initiative, implementing implicit bias and de-escalation training for all Columbus officers, and firing Chief Kim Jacobs.
Jacobs announced the department is investigating both Bogard's comments and Davis' arrest. Mayor Andrew Ginther and City Council released statements supporting the decision.
