BUTLER TOWNWHIP, Ohio – What allegedly began with an argument over cheese escalated to a violent arrest that has led to an internal investigation at an Ohio police department.
A video posted on Facebook and sent to WHIO was allegedly recorded by a bystander and appears to show a Butler Township police officer punching a woman several times during an arrest outside of a McDonald’s.
Butler Township Police Chief John Porter confirmed to WHIO that he had seen the video and identified the officers as Sgt. Todd Stanley and Officer Tim Zellers. The video was recorded just after 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Porter told the station that neither officer has any previous reprimands in their files.
Video showing Butler Twp. officer punching person multiple times during arrest under investigation
In a 911 call obtained by WHIO, a caller reported that a woman was in the restaurant and yelling at employees for a mistake with her order. “She’s mad over a 30-cent piece of cheese,” the caller told dispatchers.
Videos from body and cruiser cameras show the officers arriving at the McDonald’s, where they found the woman, identified as Latinka Hancock, waiting in her car, WHIO reported. Stanley attempted to fill out a formal notice for trespassing, but Hancock refused to give the officers information.
In the video posted to Facebook, as well as body camera video obtained by WHIO, Zellers can be seen pointing a Taser at Hancock, while Stanley punches her in the face three times.
In a statement posted to its Facebook page, the Butler Township Police Department said, “We are aware of the video recorded by a bystander that is circulating on Facebook concerning an incident that occurred on January 16, 2023, involving two of our officers. This incident is currently under investigation in accordance with departmental policies and procedures, as is the case whenever force is used in an arrest. Part of that investigation also involves thoroughly reviewing videos taken by the cruiser and the officers’ bodycams. The department is in the process of reviewing those videos, which will be provided to the public after departmental review.”
Porter told WHIO that Stanley is on paid administrative leave while the department conducts an internal investigation, in part due to hate mail the department has been receiving since the video was posted online.
Hancock was charged with resisting arrest and failure to identify. An attorney hired to represent her told WHIO that she was taken to a hospital for a concussion and other injuries but has since been released.
