Jordan Ely found not guilty of resisting arrest in forceful Akron police confrontation
A 32-year-old Akron man forcefully arrested on July 1 who was punched three times by two police officers was found not guilty Monday of resisting arrest, a misdemeanor, following a two-day jury trial.
Jordan Ely previously pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl-related substances, a fourth-degree felony, related to the incident, said Imokhai Okolo, his attorney.
Judge Mary Margaret Rowlands tacked on additional probation time to an existing sentence, Okolo said. Ely will also enter drug treatment.
Jordan Ely: Forceful arrest of man on Copley Road captured on cellphone video, social media posts
"I feel validated, and I feel Jordan feels the same way," Okolo said after the trial.
Although nothing was certain about taking this to trial, Okolo said it was worth it.
"This fight can result in victories," he said.
Escalation in seconds
The incident, which took place in the Copley Road Family Dollar parking lot, was recorded by body-worn police footage and bystanders who circulated cellphone videos on social media.
In footage of the incident, Ely exits his vehicle, leaving his 1-year-old son in the back seat. He can be seen moving toward the rear of his vehicle.
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That's when the two officers take him to the ground.
During the arrest, one officer wraps his left arm around and under Ely's neck before punching him twice in the face and head.
Seconds later and with the officers on him, Ely plants his left arm on the pavement and pushes his body up. The two officers continue telling him to stop resisting and give up his hands.
That's when an officer throws a third punch and flattens Ely to the ground, pushing his knee into Ely's back. While this happens, they can be heard telling him to stop resisting arrest.
Shortly after the arrest, officers found a 2.5-gram bag of white powder that tested positive for fentanyl.
Officers explain how the incident began
Okolo cross-examined the two officers involved in the incident during the trial. He asked them why they ran Ely's plates, which led to the arrest. They both testified that they fell back on their training, noting three reasons to run his plates.
Both officers said Ely was driving in a high-crime neighborhood in West Akron. They saw Ely enter the oncoming traffic lane, another potential criminal indicator. As he drove by their cruiser, they reported that Ely turned his head away from them.
Okolo said this was profiling, and argued that the officers ran Ely's plates for seeming suspicious without probable cause.
"So many of us drive through that neighborhood," he said, calling Ely's actions that day benign. "Something needs to change."
Okolo to file lawsuit
With the trial now over, Okolo said he would file a civil suit against the two officers involved in the arrest of Ely and the police department.
Okolo left the Jones Day law firm last year to start an independent practice in Akron, a few months after he was denied a seat on the city's new Citizens' Police Oversight Board.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron man found not guilty of resisting arrest in forceful arrest case
