Here’s two cases Ryan Vardman worked in 2015, 2016

Ryan Vardman was mentioned twice in the Ledger-Enquirer in 2015 and 2016 for cases in which he was involved.

The Columbus Police Department on Monday identified Vardman as the officer who fatally hit 22-year-old Deonte Giles with a patrol car following Thursday’s chase from Nina Street to Cusseta Road near 25th Avenue. Police said Giles was pointing a weapon at police.

In November 2015, Vardman was one of three officers injured during the arrest of then-30-year-old Towon Obryan Earl on 28th Street.

Officials said Vardman approached the suspect’s vehicle when he saw it stopped in the middle of the roadway in a well-known drug area.

Police said he was standing behind the driver’s door, which was open, when Earl backed up and struck officer Michael Aguilar with the bumper of his vehicle.

Authorities said the driver’s door struck Vardman, who jumped into the moving vehicle to avoid getting run over. He wasn’t able to get himself completely inside the vehicle, but he continued to grab onto the car, according to police.

Earl allegedly pulled forward and the driver’s door struck Cpl. Dean Spata. The impact pushed Vardman farther into the vehicle. He tried to pull himself all the way into the vehicle but wasn’t successful, officials said.

Earl’s vehicle dragged Vardman along the ground before striking an undercover police vehicle and an apartment complex, officials said.

Officer Raymond Harralson, a five-year veteran, shot Earl in the right leg after he allegedly witnessed Earl reach for a gun.

In February 2016, Vardman said he punched a 31-year-old man multiple times who resisted arrest after loitering on 10th Street.

In a police report, Vardman said he and another officer spotted Tony Edge Jr. loitering and approached him to investigate. The suspect fled on foot, according to police.

“I was able to grab Edge again and he turned toward me in an aggressive stance as I attempted to take him to the ground,” Vardman wrote in report.

Vardman said Edge continued to resist arrest, even after being taken to the ground, and continued to hide his hands.

“After striking Edge several times in the face with a closed fist, I was able to momentarily stun Edge and we then placed him in handcuffs,” Vardman wrote.

According to the report, they found seven grams of marijuana in the jacket Edge discarded while trying to flee.

Vardman also said Edge tossed a small black bag while fleeing. It wasn’t likely they’d recover the bag, the officer wrote, because there were 10-15 people in the yard, and it was not recovered at the time.

Edge was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and obstruction of justice.

“Judging from what I have viewed, which was the video report and the offense report submitted regarding this incident, it appears to be an appropriate use of force and within our policy,” Assistant Chief of Police Lem Miller said in February 2016.

This story was originally published May 22, 2017 at 8:07 PM with the headline "Here’s two cases Ryan Vardman worked in 2015, 2016."