Nationally Renowned Attorney Bobby DiCello Represents Family Members Victimized by Racially Motivated Police Violence That Caused Chaos in Neighborhood
CANTON, OH—A Canton neighborhood on Thursday was turned into a scene of utter chaos and despair when two innocent, unarmed Black men, who were driving their car at normal speed, were pulled over by two Canton police officers for an unwarranted search of their vehicle.
What followed was a community standing together, calling out the police officers, trying to prevent what they had seen too many times before: the use of excessive police force against innocent civilians.
Minutes later, a resident of the neighborhood was handcuffed for shouting to leave the young man alone. The scene quickly escalated with one of the officers unleashing his dog to maul him.
As the horrific scene unfolded more brave members of the community called the police officers to stop, only to become victimized themselves: others were beaten and screamed at by police, some using racial slurs or profanities. Women and children were helplessly watching as more police officers pulled up to the scene.
Videos on social media – including this one – document the horrific incident launched by a police force that is known to systemically use excessive force against innocent Black and Brown Canton residents.
“This is the fourth major incident in only two years involving excessive force unleashed by the Canton police department. Residents of Canton are forced to live in a city under siege by the police. The community’s response is desperate apathy and hopelessness because they have learned the hard way that law enforcement will not be there to protect them.
We ask Governor Mike DeWine, State Senators, and the Department of Justice to immediately step up and start an investigation into systemic, racially motivated violence and gang-style culture prevalent in the Canton Police Department,” attorney Bobby DiCello said. He has been retained by the family terrorized by the horrific dog mauling incident.
Bobby DiCello is available for comment.
About Bobby DiCello
Bobby DiCello, a nationally renowned trial lawyer who has earned multimillion-dollar verdicts, devotes himself to gaining justice for people whose lives have been destroyed by the powerful and the reckless. He is currently representing the Akron family of Jayland Walker who was killed by police officers from the City of Akron, and the Canton families of James Williams, and Zachary Fornash who were killed by police officers from the City of Canton. A former prosecutor, Bobby champions systemic change and is a pioneer in trial science. His accomplishments in the courtroom have been recognized by outlets such as ABC News, for whom he provided ongoing, real-time analysis on the landmark civil rights trial in its series, The Death of George Floyd – Derek Chauvin on Trial. In 2021, Public Justice, a national legal advocacy organization, recognized Bobby with its prestigious Trial Lawyers of the Year award for his work on the landmark Black v. Hicks case. Mr. Arnold Black was a victim of appalling brutality and corruption in the City of East Cleveland, Ohio. Bobby tried Black’s case to a jury that awarded a record $50 million—a verdict sustained by the U.S. Supreme Court.
About DiCello Levitt
At DiCello Levitt, we’re dedicated to achieving justice for our clients through civil and human rights, class action, business-to-business, public client, whistleblower, personal injury, and mass tort litigation. Our lawyers are highly respected for their ability to litigate and win cases—whether by trial, settlement, or otherwise—for people who have suffered harm, global corporations that have sustained significant economic losses, and public clients seeking to protect their citizens’ rights and interests. Every day, we put our reputations—and our capital—on the line for our clients.
DiCello Levitt has achieved top recognition as 2023 Plaintiffs Firm of the Year and 2023 Trial Innovation Firm of the Year by the National Law Journal, in addition to its top-tier Chambers and Benchmark ratings. For more information about the firm, including recent trial victories and case resolutions, please visit www.dicellolevitt.com.
Media Contact
Christine Schiffner: (703) 862-5202 or cschiffner@dicellolevitt.com