CANTON, Ohio — The City of Canton has terminated officer Nicholas Casto following a recent use-of-force incident with his K-9.
According to a letter from Canton's Director of Public Safety, Andrea Perry, Casto's termination is effective immediately.
The termination comes nearly a week after a hearing for Castro that took place on June 21. According to documents from the City of Canton, Casto violated multiple department policies including the following:
- Policy 300.5: Use of force. (b) Force must be reasonable
- Policy 318.6: Canines (apprehension guidelines)
- Policy 318.6.1: Canines (preparation for deployment)
- Rule 500: Use of force
- Rule 600: Departmental reports
The full termination letter and findings can be read below:
According to a statement from the department, the incident happened on May 30 in the 1100 block of 16th Street Northwest at approximately 8:45 p.m. Body camera video from Casto appeared to show his K-9 aggressively charging at a suspect who was on the ground following a traffic stop made by officers nearby.
The released video shows Casto warning a male suspect not to say anything else to his dog. He then says to the suspect, "you're about to go in cuffs," as other officers approach the scene. "He's under arrest for taunting the dog," Casto told the officers.
Three officers tackled the suspect to the ground in front of a house, while Casto and his K-9 were standing nearby. The video shows the K-9 appearing to attack the suspect while on the ground with his hands behind his back. Police order the suspect to stop resisting before placing handcuffs on him.
The man, Kieven Conver, was transported to Mercy Hospital following the K-9 attack. Conver was charged with resisting arrest, obstructing official business and disorderly conduct.
Below is a statement from Canton Mayor William Sherer regarding the termination of Casto:
“The residents of Canton deserve to feel safe and protected by those appointed and sworn by an oath to do so. The behavior exhibited by Officer Nicholas Casto is not a reflection of the men and women of the Canton Police Department that wake up every morning with the mission to serve and protect. I fully support Safety Director Perry’s decision to terminate Officer Casto’s employment with the Canton Police Department. Canton deserves better than what we all saw, and we will do better. This is our opportunity to take corrective action on incidents that compromise the integrity of our values as a community. As the Mayor of Canton, nothing means more to me than the trust of this community, and our safety forces. It is my goal that this termination shows our community that we care about the quality of the individuals we send out to serve our residents, and in turn, we show our police officers that only the best deserve to keep Canton safe. I fully support the leadership of our Police Chief John Gabbard and truly believe he is the right person to lead Canton’s finest. Together, we will move Canton forward."
Attorney Bobby DiCello, who represents the Conver family, gave the following statement to 3News:
"We applaud the decision to terminate the officer who senselessly directed a police dog to attack my client. There are many more important steps to take, however, before the city of canton addresses the numerous problems within it's department. We look forward to the day when we have an opportunity to meet with city officials to build meaningful solutions to those problems."
3News' Dave DeNatale contributed to this report.
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