Police chief: Officer was wrong to use stun gun on councilman’s daughter

CINCINNATI (AP) — The police chief has told Cincinnati community leaders that an officer was wrong to use a stun gun on a city councilman’s daughter because she posed no threat.

Chief Thomas Streicher said at a meeting of NAACP members and Baptist ministers Thursday that 26-year-old Celeste Thomas was on her knees with her hands up, asking “What did I do?” when she was zapped with the Taser gun early Sunday. Thomas is black.

Streicher says an internal review of the traffic stop should be finished soon but six supervisors already have found excessive force was used. The chief has taken away the officer’s police powers.

Cincinnati NAACP President Christopher Smitherman said Streicher deserved credit for attending the meeting, a comment that drew applause.