An Ohio K-9 officer is under criminal investigation after a video shows him ordering his dog to attack a Black man who he accused of taunting the animal while standing in the front yard of his own home and watching a traffic stop across the street.
Canton Police Department Officer Nicholas Casto was also placed on administrative leave following the May 30 incident in a downtown Canton neighborhood, which was captured on a bodycam worn by the officer in question.
The disturbing episode happened as multiple police units surrounded a vehicle that made a “sudden turn” and jumped a curb before being pulled over in a residential area.
After searching the car, officers discovered an open bottle of booze and a gun underneath the front seat, and the driver and passenger were arrested, according to reports.
Meanwhile, a small crowd of bystanders, including several children, emerged from their homes to watch the situation unfold, but they remained a safe distance from where police had the initial suspects in custody.
Moments later, the officer with the dog turned his focus to an unidentified man in the crowd who he claimed threatened the K-9 German shepherd, which was barking uncontrollably at peaceful members of the community standing on their own property.
This led Casto — the dog’s handler — to turn his attention away from the suspects in the vehicle toward the man in front of his house, but it’s not clear from the video what prompted the interaction.
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