Salt Lake City Cop Orders K-9 to Attack Unarmed Black Man
Salt Lake City cop is suspended after setting his K-9 dog on train engineer in ‘racially-motivated’ attack that may cost the victim his leg
Salt Lake City Police officer Nickolas Pearce has been been suspended pending investigation following outrage over a video where he’s heard encouraging a K-9 to attack a black man who was on his knees with his hands in the air.
The use of K-9s has also been suspended by Salt Lake City Police due to the April 24 incident where cops scrambled to the home of Jeffery Ryans, 36, and set the dog on him resulting in injuries so severe that his leg may be amputated.
Ryans filed his intent to sue on July 20 but police only begin investigating the incident on Tuesday when an interview with Ryans detailed his inspiration to speak out following the recent wave of Black Lives Matter protests.
“I felt like a chew toy,’ Ryans told the Salt Lake Tribune. ‘I didn’t know why this was happening to me. That’s what was going through my mind. Why?’
‘People need to know Black lives matter. Everybody matters, but you can’t just treat people differently because of their religion or their skin color,’ Ryans said. ‘I developed myself to get to where I’m at right now. I should have the same respect as others. We don’t get it.’
It was only this week that cop has been suspended. Nickolas Pearce’s K-9 Unit won Unit of the Year in 2011 for its outstanding work. However just nine days earlier Pearce was involved in a use of deadly force incident where another officer shot a minor driving a stolen car several times.
The other officer who fired eight shots at the minor’s car was found to have used deadly force unnecessarily.
OPINION: This story is a prime example of why laws need to be changed so cops can be sued and held PERSONALLY liable.
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