EXCESSIVE FORCE? Coweta police reviewing traffic stop incident

COWETA, Okla. — A routine traffic stop in Coweta escalated after body camera shows a driver exiting his vehicle and approaching the officer.

On Aug. 26, Officer Matt Rice initiated a traffic stop for traffic violation. In body camera, he is heard telling another officer he made the stop because the driver was veering off into the shoulder.

As soon as the officer gets out of his car, body camera shows the driver also exiting his vehicle.

"Get in the car," said Officer Rice on body camera. "Get back in the car. Why are you getting out of the car?"

COWETA POLICE CHIEF MIKE BELL WALKS THROUGH BODY CAMERA

Officer Rice is giving the driver commands, to keep his hands on the hood of the police car but the man is seen moving and trying to turn back towards the officer. He is heard asking what he did wrong.

As the man continues to move, Officer Rice begins to try to handcuff him. There is some back and forth between the two shown on camera. The driver can be seen pulling his arm away as Rice tries to handcuff him, and then the two end up on the ground.

2 News asked Chief Mike Bell if he believed there was excessive force used in the stop. He said no.

“When officer Jones pulls up to the scene and steps out of his vehicle and starts heading towards Officer Rice, Officer Rice explains to him what he’s got going on and the trouble that he’s having with this individual and then he walks away. He takes himself out of that scene. That’s what deescalation looks like.”

Chief Bell said after a clip of the incident started circulating on social media, he wanted to be sure he spoke directly to the community.

He said he can see how the video could be alarming, but Bell said he actually believes the two fell because of the force from pushing up against each other.

“When you have resistance like that, force is going to take you and that’s exactly what took place here," said Bell. "I know people are going to disagree with me on this saying that was a forced take down, that is not how we train to do forced takedowns."

EMS was called to check on the driver because he had cuts to his face and hand and had an arm injury. He was released from the hospital with no additional charges other than the initial traffic violation.

An internal review of the incident and the departments policy's is underway at the directive of Chief Bell. Officer Rice is not on suspension at this time.