MOUNT HEALTHY, Ohio — As controversy builds around two separate, recent cases involving use of force by police, body camera footage reveals the moments leading up to one of those incidents.
Christopher Laugle
WCPO obtained video Monday from the body camera of a Mount Healthy officer who witnessed 26-year-old Christopher Laugle point a toy gun at officers last Tuesday, according to police. After seeing the fake weapon, an officer used a stun gun to restrain him, authorities said.
WATCH the body camera footage in the video player above.
Police charged Laugle with menacing. His lawyer argued the incident was a misunderstanding and it happened while police were on an unrelated case.
The controversy lies in what the “hactivist” group Anonymous called a double standard in how police handle instances when they perceive a threat, specifically when it comes to the suspect’s race.
A day after Laugle was subdued with the stun gun, Cincinnati police officers shot and killed 37-year-old Paul Gaston, who police said looked to be reaching for an Airsoft gun.
Anonymous released a video on YouTube Sunday asking, “How does one man point a fake pistol at a cop and live, while another man doesn’t, but is killed execution style?”
Anonymous’ answer is that Gaston was shot because he was black, while Laugle was subdued using non-lethal force because he is white.
