2 accused of assault on Cincinnati police officers indicted

CINCINNATI (FOX19) - Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters held a press conference on Thursday regarding the recent assault of two Cincinnati police officers.

According to FOP President Sgt. Dan Hils, the officers were assaulted and reportedly knocked unconscious Friday morning, Nov. 29, while responding to a report of domestic violence.

“These officers were doing their job when they responded to a request for assistance. They were there to help someone in need and ended up needing medical treatment themselves after being viciously attacked,” Deters said.

Around 7:30 a.m. the officers were reportedly dispatched to the 2400 block of Nottingham Road after a woman claimed she and her sister had been assaulted by a man with a gun inside an apartment.

At the apartment, CPD Capt. Paul Broxterman says, they made contact with Shaunice Dickerson, who initially called police to the address.

“He begins to talk to her, questions her about what’s going on,” Broxterman said, describing the actions of one of the police officers, “at which time she punches the officer in the face.”

The officer, Broxterman continues, went to arrest Dickerson, but she would not comply. Then a man, Derrick Owens Jr., 26, came out and reportedly began to interfere with Dickerson’s arrest.

At this point, the officers’ focus shifted to Owens, Broxterman claims, as Dickerson had made her way back inside the apartment.

Owens, police say, did not comply with his arrest either.

Police reportedly tried to taze him, but Owens grabbed the tazer and would not let go. The officers then pinned Owens against the wall waiting for backup, Broxterman says, at which point Dickerson came out again and would not stay back even as ordered to do so.

It was six minutes before backup officers arrived.

Both Dickerson and Owens were eventually subdued and arrested.

The two officers were transported by ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and have been released.

“I take assault on a police officer seriously and instruct my assistants to do the same. Our community will not thrive without respect for the police,” Deters said.

Owens has been indicted on one count of felonious assault, two counts of robbery, and two counts of assault on a peace officer.

Dickerson was indicted on one count of felonious assault and two counts of assault on a peace officer.

They are both being held at the Hamilton County Justice Center.

If convicted of all charges, they face an excess of 16 years in prison.

Deters said his office plans on going for the maximum penalty possible because of the damage done to the officers.

“We are not going to take any pleas on this case. I don’t care. They need to go to jail as long as possible and that’s our intention,” he said.

Source: https://www.fox19.com/2019/12/05/prosecutor-speak-about-recent-assault-police-officers/