Family of Henry Green V Releases Statement Regarding Officer Zachary Rosen
The release of video footage which shows a Columbus Police Officer stomping on the head of a restrained citizen was troubling when viewed by the family of Henry Green V, yet even more so when it was revealed that the officer involved was the same officer that gunned Henry down on June 6, 2016.
The video footage raises concerns the family has long had about the unchecked aggression of Officer Zachary Rosen.
- In August 2014, Officer Rosen was accused of putting a gun to the head of a 15-year-old during an investigative stop.
- In June 2015, just one year prior to killing Henry, Officer Rosen was found by the Columbus Police Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau to have retaliated against a citizen in June 2015. Rosen admitted that his actions served to “escalate the situation,” and it was found that Officer Rosen “did not use good discretion” and “did not exhibit proper conduct and self-control.”
- In June 2016, witnesses stated that Officer Rosen continued to fire at Henry while he lay on the ground, emptying his clip in what they described as “overkill.” It was later revealed that Officer Rosen fired his weapon fifteen times in killing Henry.
These are examples of several internal complaints regarding truthfulness, use of force and retaliation that have troubled the family for months since Henry’s death.
The family has fought a long, hard fight over the past nine months while pushing for the prosecution of Officers Bare and Rosen. The family hopes this video footage will cause Mayor Ginther, Chief Jacobs and City Council to take a long hard look at the Columbus Division of Police, the Summer Safety Initiative and the practices of police officers throughout the city.
“It is unfortunate that it takes video evidence to uncover the actions of Officer Rosen but whatever it takes to expose how he has operated in our communities. We now see the unreasonable aggression that my son saw in his last moments. Do the witnesses who stated that Rosen stood over Henry and emptied his clip now become more credible? Is this unbridled aggression a part of CPD training?" – Adrienne Hood, Mother of Henry Green
Chief Jacobs has taken “swift action” in reassigning Officer Rosen to nonpatrol duty indefinitely and Mayor Ginther has promised to “put the full resources of the city behind the investigation.” Officer Rosen was back on the street within days of Henry’s June 6, 2016 shooting death, over nine months before Henry’s killing was even presented to a grand jury.
Perhaps with more accountability, Officer Rosen would think twice before stomping on the head of a citizen, retaliating against a citizen out of anger or shooting a man 15 times without provocation. The next swift action taken by Mayor Ginther and Chief Jacobs should be to fire Officer Zachary Rosen.
The family would like to reiterate their promise to fight for truth and transparency in the killing of their son, brother, nephew, grandson, uncle, cousin, friend and to many now – their angel. The family would like to thank everyone across the country who has said Henry’s name, who will continue to say Henry’s name, and who continue to fight for justice. The family of Henry Green demands justice for all.
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