A disturbance call on 15th Street escalated into a physical confrontation with Portsmouth police and ended with a man bleeding after repeatedly slamming his head against the inside of a patrol cruiser.
Officers were initially dispatched after reports of a man in a red shirt and black shorts causing a disturbance in the area.
According to the report, the man became combative and fought with officers before they were able to take him into custody.
🚨 MAN REPEATEDLY HIT HEAD AGAINST CRUISER
Police say that while being transported to jail, the man repeatedly slammed his head against the divider gate inside the cruiser between 10 and 20 times.
Officers noted the man was bleeding from the head afterward.
Dispatchers initially called for medics to respond.
However, according to the police log, medics were later disregarded and the man was transported directly to the Scioto County Jail instead.
👀 NO COOPERATING VICTIMS — BUT VIDEO EXISTS
Police generated a domestic violence report connected to the incident.
However, officers noted there were no cooperating victims or witnesses at the scene.
The report does indicate a woman related to one of the involved parties recorded video of the altercation.
⚠️ WHY PEOPLE SOMETIMES HURT THEMSELVES IN CUSTODY
Law enforcement officers frequently encounter people in custody who:
- Panic
- Become intoxicated or emotional
- Experience mental health crises
- Or intentionally injure themselves while being detained
Head-banging inside patrol cars and jail holding areas is something officers across the country regularly report dealing with.
🚔 BODY CAMERAS AND CELL PHONES CHANGE THESE CASES
Police incidents increasingly involve:
- Surveillance video
- Body camera footage
- Cell phone recordings from witnesses
- Or social media videos
Which can later become important evidence even when witnesses initially refuse to cooperate.