Adonis Tuggle: Black Purdue student, 24, accuses White officer of using 'excessive force' on him
Purdue University is investigating a recorded video that shows a white officer using excessive force on a Black student while restraining him. The Black student, identified as Adonis Tuggle, 24, was approached by the officer on Friday, February 4 after someone falsely claimed Tuggle was holding his girlfriend against her will on the campus located in West Lafayette, Indiana.
In a video recorded by Tuggle's girlfriend, officer Jon Selke can be seen pressing an elbow against the student's neck as he lays on the snow. Tuggle can be heard saying, "You're choking me." The woman filming the video, who called Tuggle her boyfriend, taps the officer on his shoulder and asks, "Can you take your elbow off his f**king neck?" The officer responds, "Touch me again and I will tase you. Stop." Tuggle, who is a junior at Purdue's College of Health and Human Sciences, was arrested for resisting and released the same night on $250 bail, according to the Lafayette Journal & Courier.
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Tuggle posted the recorded video of the incident on his Instagram on Wednesday, February 9. He wrote, "I NEED HELP!!! Please share this to as many ppl as possible and spread the news." He added, "Officer Jon Selke of Purdue Police punched me repeatedly, elbowed me in the face, smothered my face into the snow, and choked me with his elbow while having me pinned to the ground the entire time. Purdue police refuse to give me bodycam footage and have concluded Officer Selke "did no wrong". Help me get justice and hold this man accountable."
Addressing the incident, Purdue University President Mitch Daniels promised a swift and thorough investigation on Thursday, February 10. In a letter posted to the college's website, Daniels wrote, "Immediately upon learning of the use of force during our police officer’s response, we ordered an investigation, including not only the required review of the officer’s actions as is standard procedure under Purdue University Police policies, but also witness interviews and a release of all video evidence, including body-worn and in-car camera footage."
"As an additional step, following the internal review, the Indiana State Police will immediately commence an independent review of the PUPD investigation and video evidence," Daniels said. "Should there be a finding of misconduct by the officer, appropriate action will be taken promptly," he added.