Brandon Upchurch Wrongly Attacked By K-9

Source: Albany Times Union/Hearst Newspapers / Getty

For the second time in recent memory, a Black man has been unnecessarily attacked by a police K-9 dog during a routine and non-threatening traffic stop in the state of Ohio. BOSSIP previously reported on the case of 23-year-old Jadarrius Rose who was seen in a viral body camera video being attacked by a K-9 while surrendering to authorities with his hand unquestionably raised in the the air.

According to a new report by ABC News, 38-year-old Brandon Upchurch has become a victim of the exact same type of police brutality. Upchurch says he is “traumatized” by the experience and hasn’t been able to work since April 11, the day of the incident. Upchurch was pulled over by Toledo police at gunpoint and accused of driving a stolen vehicle.

“They instantly came out with the guns drawn,” he said. “They did not come to my car and ask me for license, insurance, etc., anything.”

If the officers had asked for that information, they would have quickly realized their error and left this man alone. However, that’s asking a lot for an inept group of armed goons. The body camera footage that has been released shows the attack and the moment that officers realized their mistake.

Upchurch was still arrested and charged with resisting arrest and obstruction. The local NAACP addressed the situation and demanded an investigation into why the K-9 was allowed to bite him.

We’ll provide more details as they are publicly available.