Police Officer Terminated
Salisbury officer terminated amid claims of excessive force

BY JOHN PATTERSON
SALISBURY POST

A Salisbury Police officer was terminated Thursday amid allegations he used excessive force while assisting with the arrest of a 47-year-old Salisbury man earlier this month.

Officer Richard Dancy allegedly struck Edward Daniel Woodie in the back of the head with his flashlight during an arrest on Jan. 11. Woodie, who was suspected of stealing a Food Lion truck from the company's cold warehouse on Harrison Road, did not physically resist arrest, according to interim Salisbury Police Chief David Belk.

''Certainly that kind of force is not something that a department would condone under the circumstances'' of this arrest, Belk said. ''An officer certainly has the right to use force if they are in danger, fear for their life or the life of a third party. But in this case none of those circumstances existed.''

Dancy, who was hired as an officer on Dec. 1, 1997, was dispatched to assist other officers who spotted the truck only minutes after it was reported stolen.

Belk said the investigation determined that Dancy did not hit Woodie repeatedly.

''The use of force alleged was that an officer (Dancy) struck Mr. Woodie in the back of the head with a flashlight,'' Belk said. ''This is not something that went on for any long period of time.''

Woodie was arrested and charged that day with larceny of a vehicle and failure to stop for a blue light/siren, both felonies. He was also charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana, driving while impaired, driving with a revoked license and careless and reckless driving. Those charges are still pending, according to Belk.

Neither Dancy nor Woodie could be reached for comment this morning.

Belk said department officials were first alerted to the possible use of excessive force through the department's own internal reporting system. The system requires officers to document any use of force. Those documents are in turn reviewed by the department's highest-ranking officers.

Belk also said an officer at the scene of Woodie's arrest ''came forward'' to report what he witnessed that day.

''Primarily our internal reporting is what caught this,'' Belk said. ''Any time we use force we document it and send it up through the chain of command.''

No criminal charges have been filed against Dancy.