Unsettling Video Of K-9 Team Sparks Investigation In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The Riverside County Sheriff's Department said it is investigating an incident involving a citizen video of one of its deputies and a K-9 in which the dog appears to bite the law enforcement officer during a confrontation with a suspect. In turn, the deputy forcefully knocks the animal to the ground before leading it back to his patrol vehicle.

"The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office is aware of the video of a deputy and his K9," the agency said Friday. "We also understand why this video may be upsetting to some members of our community. Our Professional Standards Bureau has received several complaints and are investigating this matter."

The video was posted to social media Thursday with the title, "Riverside County Sheriff slams K-9 after being bitten in the hand during an arrest - Riverside, CA" and includes a deputy badge number and name.

The video appears to show the same deputy who handled K-9 Rudy, a dog that was tragically shot and killed by a suspect earlier this year. Deputy Shane Day and Rudy had just finished first in the handler protection category at the Las Vegas Metro Police K-9 Trials a month prior to the April 14 shooting in Perris that led to the dog's death. Social media was flooded with condolences for the canine.

Social media commenters again expressed a range of thoughts about this week's incident, most critical of the sheriff's department and the dog's handling.

The sheriff's department would not answer questions about the dog or deputy shown in the video, and did not provide a response regarding the type of service call they were on. The animal appears to be a Belgian Malinois, the same breed as Rudy.

According to the law enforcement agency's website, the department's K-9 team consists of 28 deputies stationed across the county, and the bond between dog and deputy is typically very strong.

"When a Riverside County Sheriff's Department Patrol Service Dog (P.S.D.) retires, he or she must be placed with a department handler or returned to the training vendor," according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department Canine Association, a nonprofit organization designed to support the canine program and retired dogs. "Each handler has the option to adopt the retiring dog from the department and keep them as a personal dog. The bond between a handler and patrol service dog is very strong, and to date, not one P.S.D. has been returned to the vendor."