Police Beat Town Councilman Then Arrest Him For Assault

David Snyder talks about Friday's Roseland town council meeting
WNDU News
Sep. 19, 2007

Roseland town council member David Snyder is calling for the resignation of a town marshal after a fight at Friday night's meeting.

Snyder says while he was being arrested, he became a victim of police brutality.

He was released from jail Saturday afternoon, when a felony charge of battery of a police officer was dropped.

The St. Joseph County prosecutor's office reviewed the police reports Saturday morning, dropped that charge but left two misdemeanor charges. That meant he could bond out of jail. Now he’s recovering at home.

On that home, signs calling for the Snyders to leave still remain after vandalism months ago, and with those it may be a surprise to learn that some are actually "siding with the Snyders."

But a wndu.com poll of close to four thousand people shows that more than half of the people thought town police went too far during the arrest.

David Snyder said, “I'm a victim of a rogue cop a cop that should no longer be wearing a badge and he should no longer be on the streets. He is a danger to society.

There were only two real witnesses to the fight.

Snyder who was kicked out of the meeting who says, “I’m walking out of the conference room and Jack is breathing down my back and somebody yells at me to turn around and look at them. And I say to Jack ‘Oh the bully is still whatever’ and he is just goes ballistic. Just ballistic and he shoves me shoves me through the door. I pass out and come to and he is pounding on me.”

The other witness was Marshal Jack Tiller. NewsCenter 16 tried talking to him, but his wife answered the door.

When we asked for his side of the story, she responded “We'll you guys have smeared his name enough thank you.” And added the video does not show all that happened.

Some say, such as council member Ted Penn who declined an on camera interview said in the time chaos erupted, David got a punch in.

But David claims that’s not the case and he is considering a lawsuit against the town.

“I think that when someone is victimized and brutalized by a police officer that is a good potential,” Snyder added.”

Snyder says he will have to appear in court in October.

Be sure to check back with wndu.com and NewsCenter 16 for more on this developing story.

Watch the video to see for yourself what happened in Roseland. Be sure to leave your comments on what you think about the latest rumble in Roseland.

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