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SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah man injured by a Salt Lake police K-9 in 2020 is now suing the city, the police department and officers in federal court.
In a lawsuit filed Friday, Salt Lake City resident Jeffrey Ryans alleges that the police department and officers deprived him of his constitutional rights when an officer ordered a police dog to bite Ryans when he was complying with the officers' commands during an incident on April 24, 2020.
Ryans was preparing to leave for work when he opened the back door of his home to let his dog inside, according to the complaint for the lawsuit. Ryans was standing in his backyard when a Salt Lake officer shined a light on him, told him to freeze and to show his hands.
Ryans, who is Black, complied with the officer's commands and put his arms above his head, the lawsuit says. The officer told Ryans to walk toward him, and Ryans did so. The officer later asked how other officers could access the backyard, and Ryans told them where to go, according to the complaint.
Two officers — identified in the lawsuit as Nickolas Pearce and Kevin Jewkes — then came around the house into the backyard, along with Pearce's K-9, Tuco. Pearce ordered Ryans to get on the ground and Ryans complied, while keeping his hands in the air, the lawsuit states.
Ryans was face-down on the ground when the lawsuit says Pearce ordered Tuco to bite Ryans. The lawsuit alleges that Pearce's order happened when Ryans was "on the ground, had his hands behind his back and was allowing officers to handcuff him." Pearce continued to allow Tuco to bite Ryans for "some time," after Ryans was handcuffed, according to the complaint.
The bite would lead to Ryans needing multiple surgeries and a permanent leg injury that "will cause him to walk with a limp for the rest of his life," the complaint says.
Pearce was charged with felony aggravated assault in 2021 following the attack. Charging documents in the police officer's case allege that he also kicked Ryans during the incident, and he "praised and encouraged" Tuco while the dog was biting Ryans. The same charges state that one wound to Ryans' leg was roughly 4 inches wide and 3 inches long, while another was 5 inches long and an inch wide.
An attorney representing Pearce in his criminal case declined to comment on the lawsuit.
News of the incident led the department to suspend the use of K-9 officers when making contact with suspects. Salt Lake City later announced it had reviewed dog bite incidents dating back to 2018, and the police department would be referring 18 different incidents to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office for potential charges. District Attorney Sim Gill told KSL.com on Wednesday that his office is still in the process of reviewing those cases.
Prosecutors later filed an additional aggravated assault charge against Pearce in May 2021, accusing him of ordering Tuco to attack a woman during a traffic stop. The woman, Nellieana Mafileo Langi, was seated in her car and had her hands out of the window when Pearce allegedly told Tuco to "hit," leading the dog to bite Langi's arm and pull down. The bite caused "significant" cuts to her arm that required stitches, according to the charges.
Ryans named Pearce and Jewks as defendants in the lawsuit, as well as the Salt Lake City Police Department, Salt Lake City Corporation and five "John Does" who are unknown individuals "presumably employed" by the city or the police department.
A Salt Lake police spokeswoman declined to comment, saying the matter has yet to be adjudicated.
The Salt Lake City Mayor's Office said in a statement Wednesday, "We have not yet been served with the complaint, nor have we had a chance to review it, and as such, we have no comment at this time."
The complaint does not specify a dollar amount in damages, rather asking a jury to determine the amount. The complaint also asks for a written declaration from all defendants that the policies in place regarding the use of K-9 officers are unconstitutional.
No court dates for the case, filed in Utah's U.S. District Court, have been set as of Wednesday.
