The city council is reviewing the arrest that has placed Mantua’s police chief on leave

MANTUA — Emotions were high at Thursday night’s Mantua City Council meeting as people collected signatures calling for their city leader to be fired after he was accused of excessive force.

It was standing room only at the Mantua City Council, with many eager to hear the city’s initial findings on the police chief’s arrest of 76-year-old Mantua man Rick Schultz. The city attorney showed police body camera video of the Oct. 5 arrest.

In the video, Mantua Police Chief Datoka Midkiff responded to a 911 call at the home of Schulze’s daughter, who neighbors said had called her father to come to the house. However, when he arrived, Midkiff quickly told him to leave.

The video shows Schultz initially doing this, but then walking back to the boss, who attempts to arrest him. Schultz defends himself and the boss pushes Schultz to the ground. Photos taken by one of Schultz’s neighbors show him bloodied and bruised from the encounter.

Photo from neighbors showing Rick Schultz being arrested by Datoka Midkiff on October 5, 2024. (KSL TV)

“I was very upset when I saw the police officer unnecessarily beating up my dear neighbor. It wasn’t right,” said Tiffany Reimann, a neighbor.

Mantua resident Tiffany Reimann collected more than 200 signatures to get the chief fired, but the city attorney who viewed the video found the chief’s actions so far were reasonable.

“It appears that Mr. Schultz’s injury occurred as a result of there being resistance during the arrest and killing, and for that reason we believe the use of force was appropriate in this particular situation,” said Seth Tate, the city attorney for the city of Mantua.

Mantua City Attorney Seth Tate talks about why he thought the police chief’s actions were reasonable. (KSL TV)

Although the findings are preliminary, they are not appropriate for the Schultz family.“I don’t want it to happen to someone else’s family or someone else’s father,” said Skylar Stokes, Schulze’s grandson.

As for what the mayor of Mantua thinks about all this, he said during the meeting it was a terrible thing that happened, but said: “I can’t fire anyone without due process.”

As of Thursday, the plan is to have a second investigation launched by either Weber County or the Davis County Sheriff’s Office into the chief’s arrest. This is expected to start in the next few weeks.