WARNING: Viewers may find the video disturbing. Viewer discretion advised
SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) – The San Diego Police Department on Wednesday responded to a video posted on YouTube that shows a K-9 officer biting and holding a man on a San Diego downtown street.
Police were called downtown on Sunday to reports of a man acting violently, running in and out of traffic and throwing himself on cars.
According to investigators, the man approached the first officer on the scene in a threatening way. At that point, the officer released the dog.
The dog bit the man’s arm and held on while the officer handcuffed the man.
Police said, although the bite looks graphic, the officer and canine did exactly what they are trained to do.
“It's a bite and hold technique that minimizes injuries to the person that we're trying to arrest and also prevents the situation from escalating into something more serious,” said Lt. Scott Wahl with the San Diego Police Department.
San Diego Police invite the public to attend a program on August 19th called Inside SDPD K-9 to learn more about how they train.