RICHMOND — A police encounter with a man and his dog ended with an officer using a stun gun on the dog, an incident that was caught on video.
In a statement Tuesday night, police provided links to two body-camera videos that showed an officer walking with a man who is staggering along a sidewalk with a dog that appears to be a pit bull. Other videos had been circulating on social media in the aftermath of the incident.
Police said they arrested the man on suspicion of driving under the influence and hit-and-run. In the statement, police did not provide a context for the arrest, nor did they say when or where the encounter with the man and dog happened. Police did not respond immediately to a request for that information.
“We understand that short video clips without context can be troubling,” police said, adding “that is why we want to provide additional information.”
According to police, officers followed the suspect for more than 16 minutes while attempting to arrest him. They said they repeatedly asked him to secure the dog, so officers could avoid using force on the animal.
“Unless you want him to get shot, you’ve got to keep him under control,” an officer tells the man at one point in the newly released video. “I’m not trying to kill a dog.”
Video shows the dog barking and moving around as if distressed — though it is also wagging its tail at times — and the suspect walks away from officers with the dog.
“During this time, the dog lunged at officers and bit the suspect on several occasions,” police said in the statement.
Eventually, several officers move in on the man, and the video shows the dog down, then jumping to its feet while howling. Police said they took control of the dog and then transferred custody of it to the Contra Costa Animal Services. The dog remained there Tuesday.
“To provide transparency, we are releasing two separate body-worn camera videos on our website that show what officers faced during this incident,” police said. “We encourage the community to view them to gain a complete understanding of the incident and the officers’ actions. We appreciate the public’s engagement and remain committed to transparency and accountability.”
Police said animal services personnel medically examined the dog and determined that it was OK.
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