Elyria police release bodycam footage showing arrest of 15-year-old girl, officer placed on leave

An arrest following a Juneteenth celebration in downtown Elyria is raising questions about police use of force after videos of the incident circulated widely on social media. The incident happened Saturday in Ely Square following a Juneteenth celebration, and video shared online appeared to show officers detaining a young girl as a crowd gathers around them. On Monday, Elyria police shared more details about what led up to the encounter along with body camera footage of the arrest, and also confirmed one officer has been placed on leave after video showed him using what Elyria's police chief described as "a top-mounted position" where he "applied pressure with his shin to the upper back and neck area of the juvenile." THE INCIDENT The events began at roughly 5:09 p.m. Saturday, when police officers on bicycles in the square say they were attempting to quell an argument between two people. One of those two involved, a 14-year-old boy, was accused of swearing and "creating a condition that officers believed presented a risk of inconvenience, annoyance, alarm, or physical harm to others present." After being detained and charged with disorderly conduct, the boy was released into the custody of his mother. That's when authorities say the boy's 15-year-old sister confronted the officers and "refuse(d) repeated lawful commands." The bodycam footage released Monday shows the girl repeatedly yelling at the officers, "That's my little brother!" as a crowd gathers around. As she continues to scream, others attempt to hold her back while one officer tells her, "You're about to go next!" Eventually, that officer orders one of his colleagues to "hook her," meaning place her in handcuffs. As the girl keeps yelling and onlookers try to shield her, multiple officers restrain her and attempt to get her into custody. As they are about to put her in handcuffs, that's when yet another officer quickly comes into frame and jumps on the girl, appearing to put his knee near her head and neck area. The crowd then erupts into a frenzy, and one adult male is seen being detained on video. RESPONSE FROM CHIEF Upon releasing the bodycam video, Elyria Police Chief James Welsh directly acknowledged the "top-mounted position" one officer took while detaining the teen girl. In statement, Welsh admitted, "This particular use of force has generated understandable concern within our community," and acknowledged that the unnamed officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation. "While the conduct of individuals involved in this incident remains subject to the criminal justice process, we also hold our officers to the highest professional standards," Welsh wrote. "The actions of all officers involved will be thoroughly reviewed in accordance with department policy, training, and established procedures." Welsh added that he has "received no reports of injuries to any officers or individuals involved in the incident." Full coverage: https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/lorain-county/elyria-police-reviewing-use-of-force-incident-video-arrest-juneteenth-celebration/95-3275dc35-ee76-4dc7-92ac-9581321f4af5 -- At 3News, we’re not here to tell you the news, we’re here to share the stories that you say matter most to you. Share your ideas, thoughts, concerns and engage in conversations about the communities in which we all call home. Follow 3News on Social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wkyc.channel3/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wkyc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wkyc3/ Visit our site: https://www.wkyc.com/ And be sure to download our app here: https://wkyc.com/app