A video of a Purdue campus police officer accused of using excessive force after he was seen placing his arms against a student’s neck is being investigated. Campus police told HuffPost that the officer has been placed on leave.
Purdue University police identified the officer as Jon Selke, who was shown in videotape pinning Purdue University student Adonis Tuggle to the ground against a mound of snow on February 4th. Tuggle posted the video to his Instagram page, where he claimed Selke used excessive force on him. “Step back,” Selke says on tape as he presses his arms over Tuggle’s neck and face. “Stop it, that’s my girlfriend,” Tuggle says later in the video. Selke is repeatedly told to stop by the lady recording the video, who says twice, “Get off of him,” and then tells Selke that he is “hurting” Tuggle and asks him to “move his elbow off his neck.”
Selke then threatens the woman, saying that if she does not move back, he will “tase” her. “This cop won’t let go of his hold on his neck.” As the confrontation continues, Tuggle is frequently heard stating the cop is “choking” him. The university’s president, Mitch Daniels, issued a statement on Thursday after the video emerged on social media. According to the statement, police received a bystander complaint of a possible attack on a lady, prompting “an officer’s rapid response.”
“Immediately upon learning of the use of force during our police officer’s response, we ordered an investigation, including not only the required review of the officer’s actions as is standard procedure under Purdue University Police policies, but also witness interviews and a release of all video evidence, including body-worn and in-car camera footage,” Daniels said in his statement.
“The police officer’s handling of the event will be thoroughly investigated.” Following the internal investigation, the Indiana State Police will launch an independent investigation into the PUPD probe and video footage. Tuggle, 24, was arrested and transferred to the Tippecanoe County Jail at 9:23 p.m., according to the statement. “Should the officer be found to have committed misconduct, proper action will be done swiftly,” the statement added. On Friday, he was arrested on charges of resisting law enforcement. The incident’s investigation has been turned over to the Indiana State Police.
According to public information officer Jeremy Piers, the investigation into the event is still underway. HuffPost was unable to reach Tuggle for comment on the incident.
