The Mansfield Police Department has completed its investigation into the incident at 139 Blymyer Avenue on April 9, 2025.
The investigation included a review of the complaint filed by David Brown Jr., security footage posted to Facebook, body-worn camera footage, cruiser video from the involved officers, and officer statements. The officers’ body-worn camera footage and their cruiser footage have also been released.
Findings:
On April 7, officers with the Mansfield Police Department received credible information from a known and previously reliable source regarding suspected drug trafficking at 139 Blymyer Avenue. The source reported that a heavyset, younger Black male was selling drugs from the location, often with a pistol in his waistband, and that an AR-style rifle was visible on a coffee table inside the residence. This source’s prior tips had led to multiple felony arrests and the seizure of illegally possessed firearms.
On April 9, at approximately 3:00 a.m., officers were patrolling near Blymyer Avenue when they observed a silver Ford sedan traveling westbound through an alley. The vehicle stopped briefly at Sturges Avenue before accelerating quickly, leading officers to believe the driver was attempting to evade them.
Photo: tihomir_todorov / iStock / Getty Images
Officers began to converge on the area. The vehicle was located parked outside 139 Blymyer Avenue. A man matching the description provided by the source was seen near the vehicle, walking around the property, opening and closing the trunk, and pacing on the porch, but never entering the home. Officers observed the driver’s behavior for approximately nine minutes. Due to the totality of the circumstances, officers had reasonable, articulable suspicion that criminal activity was being committed and attempted to detain the man/driver. A United States Supreme Court decision, Terry v. Ohio (1968), determined that officers are permitted to detain individuals and conduct a protective weapons search when reasonable suspicion exists
There have been multiple prior incidents throughout our community in which individuals have fired weapons from inside residences. Due to Mansfield Police Officers having knowledge that the man in question, later identified as David Brown Jr., may have had an assault rifle inside the residence, they utilized their training and experience to decide that they needed to keep Mr. Brown away from the residence for the safety of the Officers, the public, and Mr. Brown himself. Officers were also aware that the situation could possibly escalate if any occupants of the residence interpreted commotion on the porch as an attack by a rival gang.
When officers lawfully commanded David Brown Jr. to step off the porch, to conduct a pat down for weapons, he backed away and refused to comply. As officers moved closer, David Brown Jr. continued to retreat and repeatedly refused to comply. When officers attempted to detain David Brown Jr., he pulled his arm away, and a short struggle ensued. Officers took him to the ground to safely handcuff him. David Brown Jr. was uncooperative and argumentative throughout the entire encounter and refused to identify himself even though officers believed criminal activity was afoot. Upon identifying David Brown Jr., officers discovered that he had a felony warrant out of the Richland County Sheriff’s Office for possession of cocaine. He then refused to enter the cruiser, after multiple warnings and requests, and had to be physically placed inside by officers. During that struggle, he continued to verbally and physically resist officers' commands and was sprayed with pepper spray to gain compliance.
The internal investigation concluded, which was reviewed and confirmed by SafetyService Director Keith Porch, that all officers acted within the policies of the Division.
The year 2023 marked one of the most violent years in our city’s history. To combat this crime, we have employed a more proactive approach to policing, and it is having a noticeable impact. The violent crime rate in the City of Mansfield has dropped considerably. We will continue this strategy. Our citizens deserve a safe community: one where children can play outside and residents can walk in our parks and neighborhoods without fear of becoming innocent victims of gun violence.
I want to thank the community for their patience as we conducted our investigation into this incident. I also want to remind everyone that a two-minute video does not always capture the full story, and this incident is a perfect example of that. Police officers, like the individual involved, are entitled to the same due process rights as anyone else. They should always be afforded that respect.