Utah Officer Faces Felony Charge For Ordering Police Dog To Bite Black Man

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Jeffery Ryans, who sustained multiple dog bites, is shown here discussing his encounter with Salt Lake City police at his attorney’s office in Salt Lake City.

Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP

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Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP

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«I’m on the ground,» Ryans can be heard saying repeatedly in the video as he yells in anguish. «Why are you biting me?»

«What the f*** did I do?» Ryans asks Pearce. Another officer puts handcuffs on him.

As Ryans lays face down in the grass, the police dog repeatedly bites his lower leg.

«Good boy! Good boy!» Pearce said praising the dog’s actions.

Police Confirm Charge Against Officer

The Salt Lake City Police Department confirmed on Wednesday that the district attorney’s office charged Pearce. The department also said it had received a report conducted by the city’s Civilian Review Board on the matter.

Press Release: Statement Regarding Charges Being Filed Against SLCPD K-9 Officer pic.twitter.com/h4iitZxbX0

— SLC Police Dept. (@slcpd) September 16, 2020

«The Department takes the District Attorney’s decision and the Civilian Review Board’s findings very seriously. Both will be evaluated and taken into account as the Department is finalizing its Internal Affairs investigation,» Police Chief Mike Brown said in a statement.

«If Internal Affairs finds that Officer Pearce committed a policy violation, the Chiefs Office will follow the disciplinary process required under state and federal law,» the statement continued. «This can take some time, but we will carry this out as expediently as possible to bring prompt conclusion to this matter.»

Daniel Garner, an attorney for Ryans, welcomed the district attorney’s decision.

«We believe the criminal charges filed are an important step in Jeffery’s pursuit of justice,» Garner said in a statement to NPR.

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Louisville Agrees To $12 Million Settlement With Breonna Taylor’s Family

The charge against the Salt Lake City police officer is part of a string of incidents involving law enforcement officials accused of using excessive force during encounters with people of color.

Earlier this week, the mayor of Louisville announced a $12 million settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by police during a botched narcotics raid in March.

As part of the settlement announced Tuesday, Louisville unveiled a series of police reforms. They include greater oversight for search warrants and establishing a housing incentive program to encourage officers to live in low-income neighborhoods within the city.

On Monday, Rochester, N.Y., Mayor Lovely Warren fired Police Chief La’Ron Singletary in connection with the March asphyxiation death of Daniel Prude after an investigation found what she called «a pervasive problem in the Rochester Police Department.»

Read the probable cause document below:

• police department
• district attorney
• Salt Lake City