Video of K-9 Unit Attacking Black Man in Ohio Sparks Outrage: 'So Awful'

Disturbing footage apparently shows a police dog being released by a K-9 unit to attack an unarmed Black man who was kneeling on the ground with his arms in the air after having surrendered.

The video of the harrowing scenes, which unfolded by the side of the road in Pickaway County, Ohio, was obtained by the local newspaper Scioto Valley Guardian following a public records request. The nearly two-minute clip, apparently filmed by an officer's body-worn camera, has subsequently been shared widely across social media where it has sparked fury.

The incident comes amid increased scrutiny of how U.S. police deal with Black suspects and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement that was set up to address police brutality a decade ago. The movement saw a huge surge of support after Minneapolis police officers killed George Floyd in a case that shook the country in the summer of 2020 and triggered a national reckoning on race and policing.

The Ohio incident reportedly occurred after a high-speed police chase saw a semi-truck driver lead Highway Patrol officers across three counties before the pursuit came to an end by a grassy median on Route 23, according to Scioto Valley Guardian. The clip opens by showing the suspect—allegedly the driver—standing by the vehicle in question. He is following troopers' commands to surrender and has his hands in the air. The troopers shout at him to approach them, and the suspect begins to walk toward the officers.

It is at this point that the Circleville Police Department's K-9 unit arrives at the scene. One trooper can be heard calling out that the dog should not be released while the suspect was complying. "Do not release the dog with his hands up," he calls and continues to shout throughout.

But an officer and his dog—identified by the newspaper as Officer Ryan Speakman and Belgian Malinois-Shepherd mix 'Serg'—approach from the suspect's right-hand side. Speakman can then be heard screaming, "Get your ass on the ground or you're going to get bit!"

However, this appeared to contradict the instructions being shouted by the troopers in front of the suspect. "Come to me; you don't want [to be] bit, come to me, man," one trooper calls out. Apparently confused, the suspect appears to gesture at both officers to indicate he doesn't know what to do. He then sinks to his knees with his hands in the air.

Speakman appears to release the dog at this point, shouting out the keyword "Stellen" (which means "bite" in Dutch), and the animal—whose face is now level with the suspect's—viciously mauls him.

The suspect screams in pain as the dog's teeth clamp onto him and the animal drags the man down onto the median. Chaos ensues as the troopers scream at Speakman to "remove the dog," while the dog vigorously shakes his head from side to side whilst clutching the suspect's arm in his jaws.

Officers are seen running to help the man as Speakman tries to intervene and manages to get the dog to let go. A female trooper is seen rushing from the scene with her hands over her face, apparently distressed by the man's injuries.

The troopers shouted out commands for a first aid kit to tend to the injured man. He was reportedly hospitalized but now remains in the county jail, where he faces charges of running from the police.

Newsweek reached out to Circleville Police Department on Tuesday morning seeking further information and comment about the incident, and enquiring whether Speakman and Serg are still on duty.

According to the Scioto Valley Guardian, the department has already conducted an internal review of the case and concluded that no excessive force was used in the arrest.

The footage sparked revulsion online after it was released by the newspaper. One clip shared online by a Twitter user with the handle @Imposter_edits1 has so far been viewed 186,000 times and shared almost 1,000 times. One user replied to post a crying face emoji with the words: "The suspects screams of terror and pain!"

Another added: "Absolutely infuriating... what is wrong with these people?! So much of this captured now. Who is it we are supposed to trust?!" and then posted a follow-up tweet adding: "So awful..."