ASHLAND, Ore. – Police in Ashland said they’ve personally apologized to a man who was mistakenly arrested and sent to jail.
The Ashland Police Department said on Monday night, officers received a report of physical harassment at a store on Siskiyou Boulevard. The subject was described as an African American man wearing a dark hoodie.
Officers said they found a man matching “that general description” close to the reported incident. They arrested him and took him to the Jackson County Jail. He was released at 8:00 a.m. the next morning.
A follow-up investigation revealed the man arrested was not involved in the incident, APD said. Prosecutors were contacted to make sure charges were not pursued.
According to APD, Chief Tighe O-Meara personally apologized to the man and his father, acknowledging the department’s mistake.
“The Ashland police department is conducting an investigation into the causes of this misidentification and deficient follow through, and will take steps to ensure that it does not happen again,” APD wrote about the arrest. “At this time, it appears that the officers involved did not take crucial investigatory steps, subsequent to detaining the man, to verify that he was, in fact, the person wanted for the harassment. There is no indication that the officers were intentionally negligent in their arrest of the man, however, the police department and the City recognize this as a police department failure.”
NBC5 News is reaching out to APD to find out more information about this incident. Check back for updates.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.