Footage backs claim by train engineer that Salt Lake City cops ordered K9 attack as he knelt with his hands raised – Jeffery Ryans, 36, files discrimination lawsuit as he faces possible amputation of the leg
A black resident of Salt Lake City cops has accused officers of setting a police dog on as he knelt on the ground, hands raised claims he was attacked because he is black
Salt Lake City police officers told Jeffery Ryans, 36, to ‘get on the ground or you’re going to get bit’ Police, he complied, but still ended with injuries so severe, he might have his leg amputated
He has given notice he will file a lawsuit against the police department
Police bodycam footage shows Jeffery Ryans kneeling on the ground hands raised, appearing to comply with officers’ orders, before the K9 dog was repeatedly ordered to launch the vicious attack on his leg
Ryans a Salt Lake City based train engineer, was in his own backyard, preparing to go to work, when the cops arrived
Despite complying with their order officers instructed a police dog to attack – footage shows the dog launching a savage attack as he mauled Ryans’ leg
Police say they went to arrest Ryans because he was violating a protective order filed by his wife that meant he was not supposed to be in the home
Ryans claims his wife told him that the protective order had been lifted and says he had been back in his home for weeks before cops set the K9 on him
As he prepares to sue Sal Lake police, in a notice of a claim, his attorneys say Ryans suffered nerve and tendon damage as well as infections and still has difficulty walking
Train engineer Jeffery Ryans, is suing Salt Lake City police after a police ordered K9 attack, while he was compliant led to the loss of of his job and possible loss of a limb. He alleging police brutality because he is black
A Salt lake City resident could end up having a leg amputated after a savage attack by a police K9 dog. A video emerged showing the man cowering on the ground hands raised, moments a police dog was ordered to attack him leaving the victim with injuries so severe that may lose the limb.
Salt Lake City police scrambled to the home of Jeffery Ryans, a 36-year-old black man, when someone heard him arguing with his wife.
Ryans’ wife previously had previously filed a protective order against him for domestic violence.
Ryans a train engineer says he had been back in the home for several weeks and was smoking outside before he was due to leave for his job when cops in Utah used excessive force to place him in custody on April 24.
Ryans, an Alabama native who has lived in Utah for 15 years, alleges that police in the city treat black people differently and as he prepares to sue the department, his lawyer says policed deployed excessive force during the arrest because he’s black.
‘I felt like a chew toy,’ Ryans told the Salt Lake Tribune, in an interview.
‘I didn’t know why this was happening to me. That’s what was going through my mind. Why?’
‘I’m on the ground, why are you biting me?’ Salt Lake City based train engineer Jeffery Ryans can be seen in the video kneeling on the ground hands raised, appearing to comply with officers’ orders, before the K9 dog was ordered to launch the vicious attack on his leg. He could have the leg amputated
What’s different between the two of us that could make this happen to him, but I couldn’t imagine happening to me? No one’s ever shown up at my house’, attorney Gabriel White told The Salt Lake Tribune.
The body camera footage shows what happened.
Dressed in a white top with dark trousers, officers startle Ryans as they beam their torches and scream: ‘Get on the ground or you’re going to get bit’.
A dog barks ferociously as Ryans raises his hands in the air and responds calmly: ‘I’m just going to work’.
Officers rush into Ryans’ backyard as one claims that he is trying to jump the fence.
They repeatedly order him to get on the ground and threaten that the dog will bite him if he doesn’t.
Despite Ryans kneeling on the floor with his hands raised, officers order the dog, Tuco, to launch its attack.
They repeatedly instruct the canine to ‘hit’, and Tuco rushes forward to maul Ryans’ leg.
‘I’m on the ground, why are you biting me?’ he pleads, begging the officers to ‘stop’.
Despite this, the officers appear to order the dog to continue its attack.
Cops order dog to attack man on his knees during arrest
Tuco is seen clamping its jaws around Ryans’ leg the clearly distressed man repeatedly screams in pain.
Officers praise the ‘good boy’ while Ryan rolls onto his front in agony.
He yells ‘Why are you doing this?’ and begs ‘What did I do?’
Officers proceed to cuff Ryans while he is laying police down as Tuco remains latched to his leg.
‘I was just getting my clothes to go to work’, he says.
After Tuco retreats form his attack an officer pats the dog on its side and tells it ‘Good boy’.
One officer radios through for a medic for a ‘dog bite to the leg’.
He then says to Ryans: ‘Bro, you’re listening great now, you weren’t listening great a minute ago.’
The police instruct the dog to launch an attack on Ryans, savagely mauling his leg. ‘Bro, you’re listening great now, you weren’t listening great a minute ago’ was the observation of one officer after the attack “Good boy,” the officer said to his dog, as Ryans screamed in pain.
Ryans said that the devastating injuries he suffered to his leg led to multiple surgeries, a lost job, and means he can’t play as much sport with his children.
He told the Salt Lake Tribune: ‘I wasn’t fighting. I was just cooperating. We’ve been through this. We’ve seen this. Always cooperate with the police, no matter what.’
Ryans has since taken the first steps to filing a lawsuit against the Salt Lake City Police Department.
In a notice of a claim, his attorneys say Ryans suffered nerve and tendon damage as well as infections and still has difficulty walking. They say doctors have not ruled out the possibility that his leg will need to be amputated.
Ryans’ attorneys, Daniel Garner and Gabriel White, allege that the officers used an unnecessary level of force.
White alleges that officers reacted the way they did because Ryans is black.
“Good boy,” the officer said to his dog, as Ryans screamed in pain. Ryans’ blooded lower left leg is seen [circled]
In their report police say they were there to arrest Ryans because he was violating a protective order filed by his wife that meant he was not supposed to be in the home.
It is not clear who called police to the home, but Ryans’ insists that it was not his wife.
While court records show he is facing charges of domestic violence for an incident that occurred around the time of December, Ryans is claiming that his wife told him that the protective order had been lifted.
He said he had been back in their home weeks prior to the the police call unaware that his wife’s request to have the order lifted was still pending.
Ryans is now facing a charge of violating that protective order though court dates have yet to be set.
He relates his story to the present times when the Black Lives Matter movement and demonstrations have brought public attention to bear on brutality and discriminatory use of excessive force in policing.
‘Everybody matters, but you can’t just treat people differently because of their religion or their skin color. 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’, he said.
Long term injuries: Doctors have not ruled out the possibility that an amputation may be necessary due to the severity of Ryans’ injuries
‘Although this incident occurred in April there was never an Internal Affairs complaint filed, when we became aware of the situation this morning, an Internal Affairs investigation was immediately launched by our department to determine if the use of force was within policy.
‘That investigation will consider the totality of the events that occurred that night.
‘As with every complaint regarding use of force The Salt Lake City Civilian Review Board has the opportunity to conduct their own separate investigation.’
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