Group calls on Canton cop, council president to resign following traffic stop incident

CANTON, Ohio - Canton patrolman Daniel Harless has been on administrative leave following the traffic stop incident happened, in which dash cam video showed the officer in a verbal tirade, threatening to kill driver William Bartlett for "being a stupid human being."

Philip Mulivor, with Ohio Conceal & Carry , said for the first time in the organization's 12-year history, they're calling for the resignation of Harless and Allen Schulman, president of the Canton City Council.

On June 8, Patrolman Harless pulled Bartlett over around 1:40 a.m. in an area known for prostitution and drug deals. During the stop, Harless could be heard screaming at the man for not telling them he had a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

Bartlett told NewsChannel5 he tried telling Harless he was packing heat, but the patrolman wouldn't let him talk.

"We have worked successfully with Ohio's legislators and governors for more than 10 years to ensure that all Ohioans are able to safely and lawfully protect themselves and their families," said Mulivor, in a news release.

Recently, Schulman defended the city's police department and lashed out at people who blasted it at a news conference earlier this week. Later, Schulman told NewsChannel5 he wasn't defending Officer Harless, but believed Ohio's CCW law makes officers' jobs even more stressful.

"Their job is magnified now. The difficulty of their job is magnified because now every time they approach someone, they have to assume the person is armed," Schulman said.

But Mulivor fired back in the release. "Schulman's arrogant silence during this tragedy has set off a chaotic loss of public confidence in Canton's police force, a dangerous scenario and threat to public safety."

Canton Police Chief Dean McKimm earlier issued a statement which read: "The behavior demonstrated on the video is wholly unacceptable and it violates many rules, regulations and standards we demand of our officers."

The incident remains under investigation.