Spokane Police Release Video Of Officer Threatening Suspect

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – The Spokane Police Department has released body camera footage of an officer threatening to kill a suspect before hoisting a police dog into the cab of a pickup truck to subdue the man.

The Spokesman-Review says the incident occurred in February.

The arrest of 29-year-old Lucas Ellerman triggered a citizen’s complaint and a conflict between the City Council and the Spokane Police Guild. The guild objected to the police ombudsman’s involvement in an internal investigation.

Ellerman is currently in the Airway Heights Corrections Center.

Police leaders released the footage on Wednesday afternoon, after concluding that officers acted reasonably in pointing guns and using a dog to apprehend Ellerman.

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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com