[kellyhound]

Anthony Paredes never missed a chance to show off his voice.

Even as he struggled to keep his rocky life on track, the 41-year-old sang every Sunday at church, belted out tunes at family functions and loved karaoke.

But his voice was forever damaged two years ago when a San Jose police K-9 sunk its teeth into his throat and held on for a full minute, shredding his windpipe and fracturing thyroid cartilage.

Parades was suspected of helping his girlfriend in a robbery and he was hiding in a trash bin when police deployed their German shepherd, Tex, to apprehend him.

Body-worn camera footage shows the fateful encounter in graphic detail, blood covering Paredes’ face as the dog thrashed its head side-to-side.

"He lost something," Paredes' aunt, Leticia Salazar, said in a recent interview. "He lost that little kick. He lost that happy-go-lucky guy that he was."

The episode underscores major concerns critics have been raising about the use of K-9s: Unlike other use-of-force options, police dogs can be unpredictable, often leading to devastating and disproportionate injuries regardless of what a person has done. In Paredes’ case, his injuries were nearly fatal, requiring two weeks in a hospital.

And while advocates have long praised police dogs as valuable tools to reduce risks to officers, critics say most situations can be resolved without deploying a K-9.

In California, there’s little accountability after a police dog injures and maims someone. And state law leaves it up to each agency to decide how the animals are used.

In fact, San Jose police deploy K-9s more than any law enforcement agency in the Bay Area – 187 bites in five years, an investigation earlier this year revealed.

The San Jose Police Department declined to comment on the case due to the pending litigation. Paredes has filed a federal excessive force lawsuit against SJPD.

But the city attorney’s office denied wrongdoing in court papers.

Deputy City Attorney Kathryn Zoglin wrote that Parades' injuries resulted from his own "wrongful actions" and that he had "committed crimes including, but not limited to, failure to yield to police authority."

Paredes’ lawyer countered that the attack on his client highlights how vicious police dog bites can be, adding that it's shameful how callous the police and the public view these K-9 injuries.

"Anthony’s life had no value and they treated him like garbage and he almost died," said civil rights attorney Izaak Schwaiger. "He came within inches of his life while the very people who were sworn to protect him stood by and did nothing."

But pro-K-9 advocates argue that the K-9 did its job and using them often protects police.

Don Cameron, a retired Bay Area police officer and use-of-force trainer, said Paredes had many opportunities to surrender before police deployed the dog.

"You don’t know whether he’s armed with a gun. You don’t know if he’s armed with a knife. And you don’t know what his capabilities are," he said after reviewing the video.

Because Paredes was in the trash bin, Cameroon said the officers couldn’t use batons, Tasers or other force options.

The K-9 scenario unfolded on Feb. 7, 2020, when an employee at a Safeway on Berryessa Road called police saying a woman had grabbed more than $350 worth of tequila and attempted to run, according to a police report.

When the worker tried to stop the woman, Paredes ran up and threatened to "cut" the employee, the report says. Records show Paredes never brandished a knife. Police later found he had brass knuckles.

Paredes and his girlfriend fled on foot into a surrounding neighborhood where Paredes was captured on a police helicopter’s thermal camera. Officers approached the backyard with Tex. The K-9 discovered Paredes had crawled into a trash bin.

The dog pawed at the bin and barked as officers approached with their guns drawn. An officer grabbed a broom and pushed the bin over, toppling it to the ground.

"Show us your hands!" the officers yelled to Paredes.

Seconds later, the dog bit down on his neck.

"Don’t fight the dog! Let go of the dog!" an officer yelled.

Officers began pulling Paredes out of the bin. Still, the dog remained clamped on his throat as an officer pulled on the dog’s harness.

"That’s contrary to police training and common sense," Schwaiger told. "Dogs have curved teeth. They’re like fishhooks. When you pull back, it just tears more and teeth become more firmly embedded in whatever they’re biting."

Sixty seconds after the K-9 first bit Paredes’ neck, Tex finally released.

Ernest Burwell, a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff K-9 handler and police dog expert, reviewed the video as he was asked to write up a report for Schwaiger’s suit. He does not think the police dog was used appropriately.

"The dog was holding onto Anthony’s neck like it was some kind of wild dog over in Africa where it was going to choke him to death," Burwell said.

"Everybody just stood around and did nothing to get that dog off for a long period of time. The other officers need to be held accountable for failing to intervene."

In Burwell’s opinion, the handler should have called the dog back, and given Paredes a chance to exit the waste bin. The dog also shouldn’t have been "on the bite" for so long, Burwell said. The recommended time is 10 seconds or less, he said.

Burwell said he supports the use of police apprehension K-9s – when they’re used with restraint.

He said controversial cases like Paredes’ show that police dogs need more oversight.

"I don’t want to see anybody lose their K-9 department," Burwell said. "It’s a very important tool. But unless something changes, it will happen."

Paredes later pleaded guilty to one count of being an accessory and possession of brass knuckles. He was sentenced to two years in state prison.

[Mr.NoCredit]

Fuck I hate pigs. I’m glad we have law enforcement but hate those motherfuckers and their dogs.

[Vince the prince]

Yeah that was bad !! Went on for wayyyy to long musta really sucked .. I couldn’t imagine having to go through that

[Nofx99]

Damn all they did was tell him to stop fighting which may have been his best chance to get the dog off since the police just watched

[HamsterFrog111]

Originally Posted by Mr.NoCredit ↗

Fuck I hate pigs. I’m glad we have law enforcement but hate those motherfuckers and their dogs.

They probably hate you too bro

[Mr.NoCredit]

Originally Posted by HamsterFrog111 ↗

They probably hate you too bro

It’s not so much the position as a law enforcement officer but the behavior that bothers me. Being a Police Officer is different than being a pig.

[gringo1965]

Dude , the guys on the ground , I guess the cops want the k-9 to have fun . That is the kind of shit where later on , that dude
will kill cops

[RUTHIE7]

Another 'odd' one. This was overkill.

[b0g]

Now I understand the cop executions in Wieambilla yesterday: you are only 1 trashbin away from discovering a valid conspiracy theory.

The dog handler is completely out of line of letting the dog on to the throat that long. Humans don't have thcker loose skin there like cats and dogs, so this was poss. deathly.:t humbdown

[b1llygo4t]

All cop dogs need to be put down. They are ruined animals. The pig up the street from my moms house beats the shit out of his k9. Im sure they all do.