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Tennessee POST panel takes no action on former Salina officer after use-of-force review
Summary
The Tennessee POST Commission reviewed allegations that former Salina Police Officer Johnny Cyrus used pepper spray and a Taser during an October 2024 stop. After hearing testimony and viewing footage, commissioners voted to take no action on decertification.
The Tennessee Post Commission voted to take no action Thursday after reviewing an agency request related to former Salina Police Department officer Johnny Cyrus.
The commission considered a department presentation that included body-worn camera footage of an Oct. 4, 2024, traffic stop. “Officer Cyrus then pulled out his, OC spray and stated you're fixing to get it. And then he sprayed Steven in the face,” said Spencer Boers, assistant chief, Salina Police Department, describing what the department reported from its review. Boers said the officer subsequently deployed a Taser as the subject moved into a building.
The commission’s review followed the department’s internal finding that Cyrus violated its use-of-force policy; the department terminated Cyrus after the incident. The agency also told the commission it presented the matter to the district attorney’s office and that no criminal charges were filed; the department later settled a civil suit related to the encounter, the agency said.
Johnny Cyrus’s attorney argued the video showed a different context and urged the commission not to remove Cyrus’s certification. “What you're gonna see is this gentleman is openly hostile by his own admission later in it. He weighs over 300 pounds,” Attorney Jaffer said while offering the video as primary evidence.
Commissioners questioned the sequence of events and whether the subject’s actions amounted to active or passive resistance. Commissioner Wright said she did not believe the officer needed to escalate force and moved for no action. After a voice vote, the motion carried and the commission recorded no formal decertification action in this matter.
The commission noted the department had already terminated Cyrus. The panel’s decision means the commission will not pursue decertification proceedings based on the materials and testimony presented at this informal hearing.
The commission’s file will reflect the agency presentation, the respondent’s comments and the commission’s vote. No specific vote tally was recorded in the transcript; the outcome was entered as a voice vote.
