Suspect strikes Cincinnati officer’s face with metal pipe

By Suzie Ziegler 

CINCINNATI — On Tuesday, the Cincinnati Police Department released new bodycam video that shows the moment a robbery suspect swung a metal pipe at an officer’s face. Officer Johnny Harris was left with serious injuries that required facial reconstructive surgery, according to Local 12 News. 

The video shows the moments leading up to the assault, during which officers try to talk with the suspect, Charlando Peoples. Peoples is walking away from officers when he suddenly spins around and strikes Harris in the face with the pipe. The video shows officers discharging their TASERs multiple times, but it seems to have no effect on Peoples. 

Peoples then walks up to a parked car and smashes in the rear window with the pipe. The suspect starts running and comes across another group of officers who take Peoples into custody, the report said. Peoples was also accused of punching another officer in the face during the incident, according to Local 12 News. 

“He got me good. He got me in the face,” Harris is heard telling another officer in the video. 

“Are you alright?” an officer asks. 

“No, I’m bleeding,” Harris responds. 

FOP President Dan Hils praised officers for their response, yet says he worries the officers were afraid to use deadly force in a situation where it’s warranted. 

“It’s a metal pipe. It bashed somebody’s brains in. It was an inch or maybe two from doing that. That is a deadly weapon,” Hils told Local 12 News. “I do wonder are policeman hesitating because of the way people are reacting when deadly force is used?” 

Peoples was charged with felonious assault, assault, robbery, resisting arrest and obstructing official business and two counts of criminal damaging, according to FOX 19. Harris is now recovering at home after sustaining several bone fractures to his face.