Watch: Canton police gain attention after K-9 grabs man
CANTON, Ohio (WJW) — Canton police released body camera footage from a Thursday night incident that gained attention on social media.
The body camera footage comes from a Canton K-9 police officer who responded to the arrest of a suspect found with a loaded gun he’s banned from having.
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But it’s what happens after the initial arrest that has this officer on paid administrative leave.
According to the police incident report, a man begins threatening police and their K-9 multiple times while making their initial arrest.
Officers said in the report that they made repeated warnings to the man to stop, but the threats continued. Several officers eventually make the move to arrest the man, alleging that he initially resisted.
It appears from the body camera footage that two officers take the man to the ground and verbally warn him to stop resisting arrest.
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Eventually, a K-9 officer deploys his dog on the man, who is seen lying on his stomach on the ground. For at least 10 seconds, the K-9 appears to grab hold of the man’s arm.
The police report confirmed that the man was injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.
FOX 8 News tried to talk with the man’s family about the incident but they declined comment for the time being. The same applies to the FOX 8 News request for an interview with Canton police.
Instead, they sent the following statements from Canton’s Mayor and their Department:
“I am aware of the incident regarding Canton Police K-9 Officer Nicholas Casto that took place on the evening of May 30. Effective today, Officer Casto has been placed on paid administrative leave per department policy. I take these occurrences very seriously. I understand the community will have questions, and I will ensure that my office will be forthcoming with information as it becomes available.”
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A statement from Lieutenant D. Garren said, “The Canton Police Department has been made aware of a video circulating on social media involving the deployment of a Canton Police K-9. The incident occurred in the 1100 block of 16th St. NW on May 30, 2024, at 8:45 p.m. While Chief Gabbard is temporarily out of town, he has been made aware of the situation. The involved K-9 officer, Ptl. Nicholas Casto, has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation. Additional information will be disseminated as it becomes available.”
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