We have new information about one of the deputies involved in the shooting death of Council rancher Jack Yantis. 6 On Your Side has obtained dash-cam footage of an incident involving one of those men that led to accusations of excessive force. The video is of a 2011 incident in McCall involving Deputy Brian Wood, one of the Adams County deputies who was on scene when Jack Yantis was fatally shot.
At the time of this video, Wood was a member of the McCall Police Department, and McCall police confirm the patrol officer in this video is Wood. Seventy-eight-year-old Rodney Whaley was arrested, after Wood pulled Whaley over for a speeding violation, and the incident escalated.
There’s not much to see on the Dash-cam footage provided to our newsroom by the McCall Police Department, but the audio is compelling. Below is some of the transcript.
Wood: "Go and have a seat in the car."
Whaley: "What do I look like? A crook?"
Wood: "Sir, I'm telling you to go sit in your car.
I'm not telling you you look like a crook, just go sit down in your car."
Whaley: "I resent your attitude young man."
Wood: "Sir, I'm not giving you any attitude, but I'm not giving you any option.
Go sit down in your car right now."
Whaley: "Yes. You're giving me an option because I didn't do anything wrong."
Wood: "Go to your car right now. Sir, right now. I'm not asking."
Whaley: "I'm 80 years old, and I don't like your attitude."
Wood: "I can arrest you or you can go to your car.
It's up to you right now. You have three seconds to decide."
Whaley: "Okay, arrest me."
Wood: "Okay."
On the video, the incident continues to escalate.
Whaley: "Let go of me! Let go of me!"
Wood: "Sir, sir, I'm not going to let go. I don't want to hurt you. Sir, stop."
Whaley: "Let go of me. Let go of me."
Whaley sued Wood, and the McCall Police Department after the incident, claiming excessive force.
Whaley: "call the EMTs."
Wood: The EMTs is called. You're still resisting. You're telling me you have medical trouble, and yet you can still fight me. Put your hands behind your back.
Whaley: "You young little whippersnappers, who do you think you are? Huh? Who do you think you are?"
Wood: "I'm a police officer, I've given you an order, it’s for my safety and you have to obey it."
Whaley's case was settled out of court. Wood left the McCall Police Department after the incident, and joined the Adams County Sheriff's Office in June 2013. The other officer involved in the Yantis shooting—Cody Roland—just signed on with the Sheriff's Office in July of this year.
