The Columbus Police officers who punched, kicked and used a Taser on Timothy Davis last year were cleared after an internal police investigation, according to department spokesperson Denise Alex-Bouzounis.
On September 1, 2017, eight officers were involved in arresting Davis outside the convenience store Livingston Market on the South Side. They were acting on a warrant alleging Davis assaulted an officer in September 2016. Davis is currently serving a 30-month prison sentence for that assault.
Cellphone video taken by a bystander appeared to show Davis ignoring officers' instructions to put his hands behind his back. Officers kicked and punched Davis while yelling profanities, and at one point, Davis' pants and boxers were pulled down.
Davis was transported to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.
Soon after, officer Joseph Bogard was temporarily relieved of duty for inappropriate comments made during the arrest. He was not involved in the arrest, but was recorded on body camera commenting to another officer, "What did we tase him for? Why don't we choke the f--- life out of him?"
Bogard returned to duty in October 2017 after being given a written reprimand from Chief Kim Davis.
Davis filed a lawsuit against the city shortly after the incident, claiming excessive force and discrimination against black residents. That lawsuit is still pending.
