Cop Fired for Excessive Force After Allegedly Choking Student Unconscious (PHOTOS)
A Tennessee police officer has been fired after allegedly using excessive force on a non-compliant 21-year-old student. Photographs showed the officer choking the young man until he fell unconscious and was taken into custody.
"In my 34 years of law enforcement experience, excessive force has never been tolerated," Knox County Sheriff Jimmy "J.J." Jones said in a statement released to the public. "After an investigation by the Office of Professional Standards, I believe excessive force was used in this incident. Therefore, Officer Phillips' employment with the Knox County Sheriff's Office is terminated immediately. The investigation will now be turned over to the Knox County Attorney General's Office to determine any further action."
Jarod Dotson, 21, was reportedly at a house party near the University of Tennessee when he was told not to go back inside the house. However, Dotson ignored that order and "began to physically resist officers' instructions to place his hands behind his back, and at one point grabbed on to an officer's leg," Deputy Brandon Gilliam wrote in the official police report.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Freelance photographer John Messner happened to be at the scene and captured the entire interaction on film. Those photographs showed Officer Frank Phillips approaching Dotson, then putting his hands around his neck as handcuffs were placed around his wrists. Phillips then seemingly begins squeezing Dotson's neck until he goes down to the ground, unconscious.
"This incident provides a perfect example of why we are in the process of purchasing officer-worn body cameras (video and audio recordings) so incidents like this will be fully documented," Sherriff Jones added in his statement.
Dotson was taken into custody and charged with public intoxication and resisting arrest. He was released on $500 bond on Sunday morning.
The photos have gone viral since first being published on the Daily Mail. Neither Dotson nor Phillips has released a statement about the incident, which is still being investigated by authorities.
