The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is stepping into a case in Missouri where there is a video showing white police officers allowing a police dog to attack and bite a Black man who was being arrested early last week.
According to the St Louis Post-Dispatch it is not clear what information the FBI has requested.
Last week, the City of Woodson Terrace Police Department released a statement on its Facebook page pertaining to the incident, claiming that after being stopped, the Black man refused to “comply” with the police officers’ commands, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
They claim that the man was warned before they allowed the police dog to attack him. However, the video shows a different view of what the statement claims.
According to statement from police, “The subject continued to resist causing minor injuries to one of the officers so the K9 was released and the K9 gained control of the suspect’s foot. The suspect went to the ground and the K9 was pulled off the subject. After the K9 was pulled off of the suspect the officers attempted to place the subject into handcuffs but due to the subject being under the influence of drugs he continued to resist and the officers were unable to restrain the subject. The subject got up and attempted to flee from the officers and the K9 was released again biting the suspect on his leg. The officers were able to handcuff the subject and the K9 was pulled off.”
The man wasn’t charged with a crime and was released.
Woodson Terrace Police Chief Randy Halstead stated in an email to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that his department was “fully cooperating” with federal investigators and the St. Louis County prosecutor’s office after information was requested about the incident which took place around 7:15 a.m. last Monday in the 4500 block of Woodson Road.
The incident was recorded by a bystander.