Here's a look at Akron officer Ryan Westlake's tumultuous history

Two recent, volatile arrests may end an Akron officer's tumultuous time with the department.

Officer Ryan Westlake, who has been an officer for nine years, was fired, then reinstated the next day and instead suspended in 2021. He has faced four other disciplinary actions and has had more than 30 use-of-force incidents, most of which were deemed reasonable by supervisors. He has recently come under scrutiny for shooting a teen in the hand who had a fake gun on April 1.

City and police leaders terminated Westlake Monday after use-of-force incidents on Dec. 31 and March 1 that police supervisors found to be in violation of the department's rules and regulations.

Westlake will have the opportunity to request a hearing before the Akron mayor and for this matter to be taken to arbitration.

Here's a look at Westlake's troubled history with the Akron Police Department, based on records and videos provided by the city and police department. All use-of-force incidents were deemed reasonable by the Akron Police Department and didn't lead to discipline unless otherwise noted:

Aug. 29, 2014: Ryan Westlake is hired as an Akron police officer.

Feb. 17, 2017: Westlake and other officers responded to a call about a man passed out in a car. After being woken up and assessed by paramedics, the man charged toward officers, then tried to run. Westlake punched the man in the upper body and, along with two other officers, took him to the ground. Westlake used his Taser to stun the man in the back and the officers then handcuffed him.

March 4, 2018: Westlake was on his way to work when he saw a man running in and out of traffic on state Route 8. Westlake ran after the man and ordered him to the side of the road. He placed a handcuff on one of his wrists, but the man wouldn’t let him handcuff on the other wrist. Westlake wrapped his arms around the man and pulled him to the ground. With the man flailing his arms, Westlake put his knees on his back until another officer arrived and helped handcuff the man.

Aug. 11, 2018: Westlake and another officer pulled over a man whom they knew had a suspended driver’s license. The man knocked down the other officer and tried to run past him, but the officer stopped him. Westlake deployed his Taser but missed. Westlake punched the man in the abdomen several times and then in the face, and he and the other officer handcuffed the man.

Sept. 27, 2018: Westlake and another officer saw a motorcycle rider being pursued by an unmarked car driven by a Summit County sheriff’s deputy. Westlake tried to help the deputy handcuff the driver, who dragged the two of them down a driveway and onto the ground. The officers handcuffed him.

Jan. 2, 2020: Westlake and other officers responded to a domestic dispute involving a mother and her son who has mental issues. The man threw punches at two officers and they both deployed their Tasers, which weren’t effective. Westlake punched the man in his mid-section twice. Two officers punched the man, who was refusing to be handcuffed, in the face. Officers then handcuffed him.

Sept. 8, 2020: Westlake and another officer attempted to pull over a vehicle with a driver whose license was suspended. The driver fled and officers pursued him for two blocks before the driver stopped. Westlake pulled the driver from his vehicle, placed him on his stomach and handcuffed him.

Dec. 4, 2020: Westlake is involved in a dispute with his girlfriend at a hotel in Fort Lauderdale. She told police he threw her into a coffee table, pinned her arms to the ground and struck her. She declined to press charges.

Jan. 7, 2021: Westlake and another officer pulled over a vehicle, with the driver fleeing on foot while holding a gun. An officer caught up to the man, who threw his gun, and wrestled with him. Another officer deployed his Taser, and Westlake handcuffed the man.

Jan. 9, 2021: Westlake is involved in another dispute with his girlfriend at his Cuyahoga Falls apartment in which she told police he pushed her to the ground, hit her in the eye, and held a gun to her head and threatened to kill her and her father. He is charged with domestic violence and aggravated menacing. These charges were later dismissed and the case expunged after his girlfriend refused to cooperate.

March 13, 2021: Westlake and another officer are involved in a car chase, followed by a foot chase. An officer deployed his Taser, striking the driver. Westlake tried to handcuff the man, who refused to give up one of his hands, and Westlake punched the man in the back. Officers handcuffed the man.

March 14, 2021: Westlake and another officer followed a car that pulled into a driveway. The driver became argumentative and gestured with his arms. Westlake and other officers forced the man to the ground and handcuffed him.

July 20, 2021: Mayor Dan Horrigan terminates Westlake , pointing to the two off-duty incidents involving his girlfriend and to a call in which he used foul language.

July 21, 2021: Westlake is reinstated and instead suspended for 71 days without pay.

Nov. 23, 2021: Westlake and another officer chased the driver of a truck who drove onto a closed entrance to Interstate 77 and, after officers surrounded him, struck two cruisers. Westlake rammed into the truck with his cruiser in an attempt to disable it. The truck fled and officers pursued it, with the driver slamming on its brakes twice and Westlake rear-ended it. The chase was called off after the driver went on Route 8 and into Cuyahoga Falls, reaching up to 86 mph. Westlake is eventually suspended for two days for ramming the truck and not immediately reporting it.

Dec. 8, 2021: Westlake and another officer saw a car with an expired registration that pulled into a driveway. The driver refused to give officers his keys so they could search his vehicle prior to having it towed. He also refused to put his hands behind his back. Westlake struck him in the lower back several times. Westlake, with the help of other officers, handcuffed him.

Dec. 11, 2021: Westlake and another officer attempted to stop a vehicle for having illegally tinted windows. The vehicle didn’t stop but then pulled over. A passenger fled and Westlake chased him and deployed his taser, with the man falling to the ground. The man tried to flee again but fell. Westlake stunned the man with his taser in the lower back and rear of his head. Westlake punched the man several times, then handcuffed him.

Dec. 18, 2021: Westlake and other officers attempted to stop a vehicle that was suspected of having been in an earlier chase. Westlake, who was on the driver’s side, deployed his Taser, striking the passenger in the back who was being taken out of the vehicle by other officers. The passenger and the officers who were handcuffing him were shocked by the Taser. A supervisor found Westlake’s use of a Taser wasn’t reasonable . The police union says the incident later was deemed reasonable and Westlake wasn’t disciplined.

Jan. 15, 2022: Westlake and another officer responded to a call about a burglary, with two suspects having fled. Westlake chased a man matching a suspect’s description. He took him to the ground, placed his knee on his back and handcuffed him.

July 12, 2022: Westlake responded to a dollar store in response to a man trespassing who had been banned. Westlake tackled the man and handcuffed him with help from other officers.

July 25, 2022: Westlake received a written reprimand for failing to operate a patrol wagon safely when he was involved in a minor accident with a cruiser in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant in June.

Aug. 25, 2022: Westlake went to a man’s home to interview him about a cellphone he was accused of stealing. The man was sitting on his porch with a bag of marijuana on his lap. Westlake tackled him and handcuffed him with help from another officer.

Aug. 31, 2022: Westlake pulled over a vehicle for having an unreadable temporary tag. He chased the passenger when he fled and deployed his Taser, but it missed. Westlake lost the man when he jumped a fence.

Sept. 12, 2022: Westlake responded to a call about a man alleged to be on drugs and trespassing at an apartment complex. He found marijuana on the man. While Westlake was checking the man for warrants, he fled. Westlake deployed his Taser, hitting the man in the back, then handcuffed him.

Dec. 12, 2022: Westlake is suspended for one day for failing to provide his name or identification number during a call for service.

Dec. 16, 2022: Westlake is suspended for 45 days for failing to follow the proper procedure for disposing of drugs. This was his third violation of this rule.

April 14, 2023: Westlake and another officer responded to a call about a domestic dispute involving a man threatening a woman with a bat. The man struggled with Westlake and another officer as they handcuffed him and then refused to walk. Westlake applied a pressure point behind his left ear. Westlake and the other officer pulled the man along to get him to a cruiser.

May 7, 2023: Westlake chased a motorcycle that had been reported stolen during a breaking and entering by Norton police. When the motorcycle stalled, Westlake grabbed the rider, who attempted to flee again. Westlake pulled the rider off the motorcycle and sat on him. He handcuffed him with the help of another officer.

June 8, 2023: Westlake saw a vehicle parked in a driveway that was suspected of being used in a music video at a drive-thru in which males displayed guns and threatened to shoot and rob an employee. Westlake tried to stop one of the occupants who ran. Westlake deployed his Taser but it missed. He saw the man get a handgun from his pocket. Westlake took out his gun and continued to chase the man. The man tripped and Westlake tackled him. Another officer tried to help Westlake handcuff him but the man tried to flee again and Westlake swept his leg and took him down. Westlake and the other officer handcuffed him.

Aug. 7, 2023: Westlake was among the officers who responded to a call about a man who stole a dump truck in New Franklin and fled from officers. The driver stopped the truck at Derby Downs in Akron. Ten officers used verbal commands, knee strikes, punches, elbow strikes, pinching and three five-second Taser blasts before they could get the man into handcuffs.

Sept. 18, 2023: Westlake responded to a call regarding a landlord/tenant dispute. He noticed that a passenger in the landlord’s car had a warrant for child endangering. The man refused to provide his identification or exit the vehicle. Westlake bent his arm against the door panel of the vehicle, then continued to pull him by the arm and took him to the ground. Westlake and another officer sat on the man and then handcuffed him.

Sept. 27, 2023: Westlake responded to a report of a breaking and entering at an apartment. Westlake chased one of the juvenile suspects. Westlake shot him with his Taser, striking him in the back. Other officers then handcuffed him.

Oct. 25, 2023: Westlake responded to a call about a stolen vehicle. He had information that the suspect was inside an apartment. Another officer’s K-9 searched the apartment and found the suspect hiding in a bedroom closet. The officer drug the man from the closet and Westlake handcuffed him.

Dec. 31, 2023: Westlake and other officers chased a man on foot. Officers believed the man may have a gun. When they caught the man, Westlake put the barrel of his assault rifle to the back of his head while other officers handcuffed him. Westlake then withdrew his weapon. Supervisors found Westlake's actions to be unreasonable.

Jan. 8, 2024: Westlake assisted another officer with a traffic stop involving a vehicle seen leaving an illegal gambling establishment with an expired registration. The passenger refused to identify himself and Westlake learned he had previously been involved in a volatile arrest. The man had felony warrants. An officer grabbed the man’s arm and told him to put his hands behind his back. The man began hitting his forehead on the bumper of a cruiser. Westfall took the man to the ground and he and other officers handcuffed him.

Jan. 24, 2024: Westlake responded to a call about a theft from a dollar store. He saw a man matching the suspect’s description and tried to stop him, but he fled. Westlake deployed his Taser twice, but it was ineffective. Westlake pulled the man to the ground and sat on him, with the man refusing to give up his hands. Westlake applied pressure behind the man’s left ear. Other officers arrived and helped Westlake handcuff the man, who had a pack of stolen cigarettes in his hand.

March 1, 2024: Westlake responded to a convenience store for a complaint by the owner about a customer and her friends who had been stealing from him. While other officers searched for the teen-age customer's friends, Westlake handcuffed the teen and took her out to his cruiser. Westlake swung her around and she fell, landing on the pavement next to the cruiser, a surveillance video shows. He then put her in the back of his cruiser. A police supervisor found Westlake's actions to be reasonable but internal affairs supervisors disagreed.

March 15, 2024: Westlake saw a car with illegally tinted windows that turned into a driveway. He learned the vehicle had been involved in a pursuit with Tallmadge police. He tried to arrest the driver, but he fled on foot. Westlake deployed his Taser but it had no effect. Another officer released her K-9, which caught the man as he was trying to climb a fence. Westlake handcuffed him.

April 1, 2024: Westlake responded to a non-emergency call about a male pointing a gun at houses. He told the male to show his hands, then, seconds later, shot him in the hand. The gun the 15-year-old was holding was fake. The incident is under investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Here's a look at Akron officer Ryan Westlake's tumultuous history