Police Chief Slams Officer for Sharing Details of Teen's Brutal Murder

An Ohio police chief criticized an officer for sharing new details about the murder of 13-year-old Keimani Latigue with reporters.

On Tuesday, Brian Steel, president of the Columbus Fraternal Order of Police, announced the arrest of a man connected to a homicide in Toledo. He told reporters that the victim in this case was a teenager who was "murdered, raped, had her hands cut off, and her throat almost cut off."

Michael Troendle, chief of the Toledo Police Department, called the comments by Steel "insensitive" in an interview with WVTG.

"He has no idea if the family knows any of those details," Troendle said. "He has no idea. Our coroner hadn't done the autopsy yet when he's running and saying those things."

Why It Matters

Latigue was reported missing by family members on March 18. Officials issued an abduction warrant for the child's father, Darnell Jones, on Sunday.

A murder warrant was then issued for Jones after Latigue was found dead the next day.

What To Know

Jones was confronted by police officers in Columbus on Tuesday. He allegedly pulled out a firearm. A SWAT officer then discharged their firearm and struck the suspect.

Jones was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital in stable condition.

Troendle said the information released by Steel affects their ability to investigate the case, confirm suspects, and rule out suspects.

"Those are details that we would never release in an investigation," Troendle said.

In comments to The Columbus Dispatch, Steel questioned whether the information he shared was confidential.

"If the details of this heinous crime were truly confidential, I would expect the Toledo police chief to either communicate that to outside agencies or ensure that information was not released in the first place," Steel said.

Who was Keimani Latigue?

Latigue was a student at Spring Elementary School in Toledo. She was about to turn 14 years old, according to WTVG.

Where was Keimani Latigue Found?

Latigue's body was found inside a vacant home in Toledo.

The Lucas County Coroner's Office found Latigue's cause of death to be multiple incised wounds of the neck. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.

Who is Darnell Jones?

Jones, who also uses the last name Ogletree, is Latigue's father. He is also charged with assault following the confrontation with officials.

What People Are Saying

Troendle, in an interview with WTVG: "I was very taken aback by his comments. To me, unprofessional. To me, not his place. There's a lot of things he was running his mouth about that he had no business talking about."

Steel, referring to Troendle in comments to The Dispatch: "As for catching his suspect, a simple 'Thank you, CPD,' would have sufficed."

What Happens Next

Troendle said he does not know when Jones will be brought back to Toledo to face the charges. The incident remains under investigation.

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