Clackamas County Sheriff's Office defends use of force during arrest of blind and deaf man
By: -----
Clackamas County, OR - The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office released the full body camera footage of an arrest after a video circulating on social media questioned the force the officer used against a suspect.
The sheriff's office said that the video is from an incident, where, just before 6 a.m. on Sunday, deputies responded to a domestic disturbance report in the 8700 block of Southeast Monterey Avenue in unincorporated Clackamas County.
When deputies arrived at the scene, the suspect, 30-year-old Dakota John Hadley, was no longer there, but hours later, deputies confronted Hadley while he was walking on Southeast Monterey Avenue. CCSO said Hadley refused to follow instructions and resisted arrest, "requiring deputies to use force to take him into custody."
BridgesOregon, a nonprofit based in Salem, had posted a video of the incident, asking, "Does anyone know more about this incident with Clackamas County Sheriff's Office with the Deaf Blind individual?" and asking anyone with information to contact them.
CCSO says body camera footage shows Hadley "communicating with deputies and does not support those claims" that he is deaf or blind.
In the bodycam video, a deputy, while getting out of his vehicle, tells Hadley to approach the police car and to take his hands out of his pockets, then, circling around Hadley so he's at Hadley's back, asks him his name. The deputy in the video tells Hadley that he's going to put his hands behind his back and handcuff him, then that if he resists, "I'm going to use force on you."
Hadley answers, "I don't have time for this," as another deputy replies, "Buddy, you're going to have time for this." The video then shows deputies forcing Hadley onto the ground as he struggles. One deputy can be seen punching Hadley in the back of the head as another works to handcuff him. Deputies can later be seen searching his pockets, pulling out what appears to be a bundle of folded dollar bills and a pipe.
After Hadley's arrest, he was checked out by medical personnel and lodged at the Clackamas County Jail on several charges, including harassment - domestic intimate; interfering with a peace officer; resisting arrest; and unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a misdemeanor.