PICKAWAY COUNTY, Ohio — Startling footage has been released, showcasing a K9 unit attacking a man who was appearing to comply with law enforcement commands after leading troopers and deputies on a high-speed pursuit on July 4 that stretched three counties: Jackson, Ross, and Pickaway. The video, obtained through a public records request by the Guardian, raises concerns about the appropriate use of the K9 during the apprehension.
The footage, released by the Highway Patrol, captures a harrowing scene as the events unfold along Route 23. In the video, the driver of a semi, a black male, is seen outside the vehicle, following the troopers’ instructions with his hands in the air and slowly moving backward. However, moments later, the Circleville Police Department’s K9 unit arrived at the scene; it had been requested to intercept the pursuit before it officially came to a stop, but arrived moments after it ended.
The police dog, named Serg and his hander, Officer Ryan Speakman arrived on the scene as troopers were giving commands to the driver who was actively surrendering. The troopers, who were leading the chase, can be heard instructing the man — who voluntarily got out of the semi — to walk toward them, warning that the K9 would be released if he failed to comply.
In the background of the bodycam footage, the scene supervisor, a trooper, repeatedly emphasizes to the other law enforcement officers that the K9 should not be deployed as long as the suspect is complying with commands and has his hands up.
Troopers continue to tell the man to walk toward them, but about 100 feet away Speakman is yelling different commands as he holds back the dog.
“Get your ass on the ground or you’re going to get bit!” he yelled to the man. Troopers, who were in charge of the scene, were saying different commands to the suspect.
“Come to me, you don’t want bit, come to me, man,” the lead trooper is heard saying.
The man, apparently confused by who to listen to, pointed to the dog and points to the troopers — each giving conflicting orders.
Despite the man’s hands still in the air, the dog was let loose by Speakman.
Initially, Serg charges toward one of the troopers who is still shouting commands to the suspect. However, Officer Speakman recalls the dog, redirects its attention to the suspect, and seemingly issues the command “Stellen,” the Dutch word for “bite,” which is Serg’s trained command. Disturbingly, at this point, the suspect is already on his knees with his hands still raised.
Without hesitation, the dog attacks the suspect, biting him and dragging him to the median. The man’s anguished screams echoed through the video as troopers rush to intervene. Officer Speakman is forced to physically remove Serg from the suspect, while a female trooper, visibly disturbed by the incident, walks away with her hands covering her face.
Several troopers can be overheard on the video yelling at Speakman to “get his dog” and to “remove the dog” — the troopers, clearly upset that the K9 was unleashed and attacked in contra with their requests
Troopers immediately called for an ambulance, which had already been en-route as a precaution. Urgently, they called for others to fetch a first aid kit to administer immediate medical attention to the injured semi driver.
The History of Serg and his training
Serg was born on May 19, 2019, in the country of Hungary. He is a Belgian Malinois-Shepherd mix. The K9 has been involved in narcotics and currency seizures. Serg was previously partnered with another Circleville officer, who died in 2021. The dog was twice-trained at Shallow Creek Kennels in Pennsylvania.
The Guardian interviewed numerous K9 trainers who said the dog acted in compliance with its training and only did what the handler commanded.
K9 dogs are used in a host of scenarios: search and rescue, finding deceased bodies, and in this case, fugitive apprehension.
An internal report conducted by the Circleville Police Department into the incident ruled that no excessive force was used in the arrest. A public records request for the document by the Guardian went unreturned on Monday. Likewise, the police chief, Shawn Baer did not return a request for comment.
The suspect was taken to the hospital, and then the county jail, where he remains locked up on charges of running from the police.
The Highway Patrol released a statement referring questions about the K9 to the Circleville Police Department.