Oxford police officer allegedly strikes college student in video
An Oxford police officer appears to repeatedly punch a restrained Miami University student in a video widely circulated on social media.
Miami University posted a statement on Facebook that said university officials have been in touch with the student and the City of Oxford to express “deep concerns” about the incident.
The Oxford Police Department released a statement on its Facebook page that acknowledged the video and said the officers were responding to a disturbance in which a bar employee was assaulted. The department said its original review of the incident did not include this video angle and it will conduct an investigation into the officer’s use of force.
“We understand this video can be disturbing and shocking and we are committed to conducting a transparent investigation. There is misinformation being shared on social media regarding this incident. Thank you for your patience while we conduct a thorough review of this incident,” the department said.
Neither Miami University nor the Oxford Police Department named the student or officer involved in the incident.
A woman who said she is related to the student posted the video of the officer striking him on TikTok and asked viewers to share it with the hashtag #justiceforDevin.
She said the student is a football player at Miami and was leaving Brick Street Bar in Oxford. He then tried to go back inside the bar and the Brick Street employees prevented him, she said.
The video shows two other people holding the student down when the officer strikes him.
The Miami football roster for 2023 shows only one player named Devin, Devin Johnson, a first-year student. The Enquirer has reached out to him for comment.
The Enquirer has requested the arrest report for the incident.
Erin Glynn is the watchdog reporter for Butler, Warren and Clermont counties through the Report For America program. The Enquirer needs local donors to help fund her grant-funded position. If you want to support Glynn’s work, you can donate to her Report For America position at this website or email her editor Carl Weiser at [email protected] to find out how you can help fund her work.
Do you know something she should know? Send her a note at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @ee_glynn.
