[kellyhound]

West Jordan, Utah A man has filed a lawsuit against the West Jordan Police Department that alleges his rights were violated when a police K9 was dispatched and subsequently injured him, but police said they stand behind their actions.

“I didn’t dare to move. I put my hands up and froze. If I would have blinked, I thought I was going to get shot,” said Lee Hoogveldt, recalling an incident which played out in his home on March 24, 2013.

His attorney, Robert Sykes, filed a civil rights lawsuit in Federal Court on Thursday, and he provided the media with copies of body camera video showing Hoogveldt being attacked by a police dog.

“At the time and place this force was used, there was no justification at all to sic a police dog on somebody,” Sykes said.

The video shows Hoogveldt seated on a sofa after police enter his home. After numerous commands from officers, he raises his hands in the air seconds before a dog named “Pyro” lunges at his face, bites, and holds on for about 15 seconds.

Hoogveldt is then pulled into a nearby room by another officer. The video shows large amounts of blood covering his face. Seconds later, Hoogveldt is face down, and as officers work to get him handcuffed, the dog bites him in the buttocks.

But Sykes alleges the problems started before the dog attacked.

“There’s a right to be free from unlawful entry, under the Fourth Amendment,” he told, adding, “We have a police officer without a warrant, kicking down a door, and going in someone’s home.”

The West Jordan Police Department said the video tells an incomplete story. In a press conference Thursday afternoon, Sgt. Dan Roberts said they’d been called to Hoogveldts residence by neighbors who’d felt threatened by him and were concerned about a fire burning in his back yard.

“To protect the neighborhood, they had to go in and secure Mr. Hoogveldt,” he said. “The fire department could not respond to take care of the fires.”

Roberts also said Hoogveldt is well-known to the police department.

“His history included an aggravated assault with a weapon, and another incident in which officers found a knife concealed on his person,” Roberts said.

As for what Sykes identifies as Hoogveldt’s surrender in the video, Roberts says: “He could have easily been hiding another weapon on him.”

The West Jordan Police Department maintains that their officers were in danger and that appropriate force was used to take Lee Hoogveldt into custody.

They say the incident was also captured by at least one other officer’s body camera, but that video will not be released due to the litigation.

Update : With his hands up, police K-9 Pyro, a German shepherd, was released, leaped onto Hoogveldt and latched onto his face. It took officers between 15 and 30 seconds to pry the dog off. With blood gushing from his face, the officers attempted to handcuff Hoogveldt while he was on the ground.

Police used their Taser on Hoogveldt several times, and then Pyro bit his rear end as officers were on top of Hoogveldt. After he appeared to be in custody and no longer struggling with officers, a chair was accidentally tipped over onto his forehead leaving an open gash.

West Jordan contended that officers were concerned Hoogveldt might have had a knife hidden in the couch cushions and was just waiting for an officer to get closer.

Hoogveldt and his attorney, Bob Sykes, filed a civil lawsuit against West Jordan police officer Ian Adams, Pyro's handler, and the West Jordan Police Department.

Wednesday, it was announced that a settlement had been reached and is expected to be officially approved by the City Council at its weekly meeting. Sykes said his client will get $125,000 and his medical bills have been resolved.

In reaching a settlement, West Jordan did not admit the police officers did anything wrong.

"I think there has been an honorable compromise reached (between) two sides that have different opinions," Sykes said. "No one is admitting their side is right or wrong. We stand by the allegations we made in the complaint. We believe those are accurate and fair. They're denying all that. So they have their side of it and we have ours and we're not going to agree that one side or the other is correct. We agree to disagree, basically."

West Jordan police released a brief statement Wednesday, saying, "The city of West Jordan and Mr. Hoogveldt have signed a settlement agreement and release of all claims. It is not an admission of liability or any wrongdoing. Our attorneys have determined it is more cost effective to put this behind us rather than draw it out in court."

[Illusion]

How does the officer justify his actions in court when the suspect already surrendered?

[Pyramid_Head]

The cop was in the wrong here. The guy had his hand high in the air and was clearly not resisting.

[rob666]

Cop forgot he had a camera on.

[spudigitti]

I love police dog's

[AceGoober]

There was no reason to sic the dog on the suspect. At the same time, the suspect should have followed the officer's commands. Why do people have to be so friggin' stupid.

[Ksiegmund]

WOW. Don't give a shit if he didn't stand up. So unnecessary.

[Desensitisation]

Originally Posted by AceGoober ↗

There was no reason to sic the dog on the suspect. At the same time, the suspect should have followed the officer's commands. Why do people have to be so friggin' stupid.

Half the time it's because of fear. Fear to move. Fear that *any* move you make is going to be considered dangerous or a threat and end up riddled with bullets. So the guy did what he thought was safest: Just sit still, surrender, and let the cops come to him.

The other half of the time, it's also because they're fucking morons. The guy *could* have stood slowly from that couch with his hands up.

Sadly, these cops were assholes. There was no need at all for the sic.

[Arevalosocom]

Great another asshole gets "paid leave" , won't get fired or charged and tax payers will get the bill for the lawsuit........

[AtticusFinch]

oops i dropped a chair on you.