Update: Canton mayor, residents denounce city police officer's kick of kneeling suspect

CANTON ‒ The Canton Police Department is reviewing the actions of an officer who kicked a suspect in the chest while he was kneeling on the ground during an arrest on Saturday.

In a press release issued Monday afternoon, the department said it was aware of a 24-second video circulating on social media involving an arrest on Morris Avenue NE in which the person was kicked by an officer.

Police Chief John Gabbard said in a prepared statement that the department's officers “frequently face stressful, dangerous situations and confrontations with armed suspects. Their dedication to the community has resulted in exceptional reductions in violence, especially gun violence over the past two years.

"Crime reduction and public safety is only part of our mission, which cannot be fully realized without consideration of the effect we have on our community," he said. "In short, how we do our job is as important as the results of our efforts. Officers using force outside the parameters of our training, policy and principles will be held accountable .”

What we know about Canton police officer kicking a suspect who was kneeling

Police gave this account of Saturday's incident:

At around 8:30 p.m., a citizen reported an argument involving 10 to 15 people in the 1800 block of Morris.

Several officers responded, including detectives from the Coordinated Response Team, who had received intelligence related to gun violence in the Mahoning Manor townhouse complex owned by Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority.

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Multiple people fled and arriving officers chased them.

One suspect carried a gun that was plainly visible to the pursuing officer. The pursuit was discontinued without an apprehension.

Officers responding to the 1800 block found multiple additional suspects.

"Officers ordered the suspects to the ground and they appeared to be complying when officer Brandon Momirov kicked (a 21-year-old man) in the chest," the press release said.

Arrested during the incident were the 21-year-old man who was kicked, and two other men, ages 32 and 30.

Officers recovered two Glock 9mm pistols. A backpack containing a large amount of marijuana, currency and scales was found in a nearby vehicle.

According to state police records, Momirov has been an officer for eight years. He began working part time with the Brewster Police Department in 2015, then was hired full time with the Stark County Sheriff's Office in 2016 where he worked for four years.

Momirov was hired full time by the Canton Police Department in 2020 but resigned in July 2021. Canton's Civil Service Commission reinstated him in June 2022 after Gabbard and Safety Director Andrea Perry told the commission that Momirov had previously left the city on good terms due to family reasons. They noted that he had been a good employee and was fully trained, according to the Civil Service Commission's meeting minutes .

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Attorney Bobby DiCello, who is representing the 21-year-old, said in a statement that the man's family is "sickened by the senseless and cruel acts of violence."

"It is time for the City of Canton to wake up and realize that its police department is attacking its own citizens and treating them as enemy combatants rather than citizens," DiCello said. We remain committed to holding these officers accountable.”

Canton mayor, residents say they're 'tired' of repeated misconduct

During Monday's Canton City Council meeting, Canton William V. Sherer II called the officer's behavior unacceptable.

"You've heard me say on more than one occasion that we can do better — and I'm tired of saying it," Sherer said. "It is about action. This behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated by any department in the city, including Canton PD. This will be handled."

Canton residents, many of whom previously have called for police reform, told Sherer and council on Monday that they are tired of lip service and want action.

"We already gave the chief, safety director and the mayor an opportunity to fix what’s going on in the city, and they have failed us numerous times," Charla Jones said. "We hear the same speech over and over — how you guys are sick of it — but we are the ones facing it."

City police have been involved in several high-profile incidents with residents over the last few years. A police officer shot through a wooden fence and killed James Williams, 46, in January 2022 while Williams was firing a Ruger AR-556 rifle into the air to celebrate the new year.

Jeffrey Neff, 41, was shot and killed during a foot chase when Neff fired a gun at officers in June 2023. Zachary Fornash, 24, who was carrying a pellet gun, was shot and killed in December 2023. Frank Tyson, 53, died after being placed face down on the ground during his arrest in April. And a K-9 officer allowed a police dog to attack a man who was lying on the ground with his hands behind his back in May — an incident also captured on video and shared on social media.

Daniel Gates of Canton recounted multiple encounters with officers, including one on Sunday where he said an officer pulled out his gun while questioning him about a crime he didn't commit.

"I'm tired of the brutality. I'm tired of the violence and I'm tired of not having peace," he said. "We are guaranteed life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness but I'm not pursuing happiness because every time I walk out the door, the police are coming for me. They're coming for my people."

Moniquec Conner, interim president of the National Action Network chapter serving Stark and Summit counties, called on city leaders to negotiate with the Canton police union so the city can stop paying officers who are under investigation for misconduct against a citizen. She also recommended the city establish a review board with a civil rights organization representative to review police complaints and use the police department's funds or insurance to pay for any civil settlements or court judgments due to an officer's misconduct.

"We hear your words, but words without action are just words that don't even sound or look good to us at all," she said.

Thomas West, president of the Stark County Urban League, reiterated his recommendations for a police review commission and for better implicit bias training for officers. The former Canton councilman said he understands his former colleagues' reluctance to take action while investigations and lawsuits are ongoing, but he said they need to show the community that they are listening.

"It's time for them to step up and do something that's going to be meaningful and impactful for our community because right now a lot of the community feels under siege," he said. "We feel like these officers don't even care about us."

Repository staff writer Kelli Weir contributed to this report.

Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Update: Canton mayor, residents denounce city police officer's kick of kneeling suspect