Cottage Grove officers used 'reasonable' force in arrest of man with sword, agency says
Officers with the Cottage Grove Police Department used a "reasonable" amount of force during the arrest this fall of a man waving a sword in public, according to a statement from the Cottage Grove Police Department.
But officials say they have identified areas where they can improve.
On Sept. 1, Cottage Grove officers arrested a 27-year-old man who was allegedly seen waving a sword in public, Cottage Grove Oolice said. Witnesses described officers hitting the man multiple times on the ground during the arrest.
The man was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and assault.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted an independent investigation into the incident and found the officers’ use of force did not violate federal laws, according to Cottage Grove Police officials.
“For an incident such as this to be charged as a federal civil rights crime, officers, acting in an official capacity, have to willfully use unreasonable force. The evidence reviewed indicated this was not the case and therefore CGPD officers did not violate federal criminal statutes,” the FBI said in a statement released by Cottage Grove police.
Cottage Grove Police also conducted an internal investigation that determined the use of force was "reasonable and justified under department policy."
CGPD said it has identified areas of improvement as a result of this investigation. Department officials said they will improve the training officers receive, and said they will continue to send officers to enhanced use of force training as scheduling permits.
Along with updated training, the CGPD said its use of force review process must be current with industry standards and best practices. This will include requiring a use-of-force report to be completed in addition to an incident report every time an officer uses force.
The department also said body-worn cameras are a priority. Cottage Grove City Council has authorized a contract with Axon to provide body-worn cameras, which the department said it plans to have deployed in a few months.
Makenzie Elliott covers breaking news and public safety for The Register-Guard. Reach her at MElliott@gannett.com. Find her on Twitter at @makenzielliott.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Cottage Grove officers exonerated after excessive force investigation
