The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating whether two Mountain View police officers violated the civil rights of a man bitten by a police dog Sept. 4.
Patrick Terry of Jacksonville, Fla., has said he believes the officers targeted him because he is black. The FBI's inquiry, however, will focus on whether the police commanded the dog to attack Terry or sought to hurt him in any other way.
``The issue is whether a person's civil rights were abused by someone in law enforcement,'' said LaRae Quy, spokeswoman for the FBI in San Francisco. ``It's our job to determine if there's any credibility to what the individual is alleging.''
Quy said the FBI routinely investigates cases in which police officers are accused of misconduct. The Mountain View Police Department also is investigating the incident and reviewing training for police dogs. Terry was arguing with his girlfriend two weeks ago when Reuben Gonzalez, an undercover police officer on a bicycle, stopped them and asked if everything was OK, according to a police report.
Gonzalez thought the situation might involve domestic violence so he called for backup, and a canine unit drove up. Another officer, Scott Thomas, got out of the car to help Gonzalez handcuff Terry face-down. Seconds later, a police dog named Tino escaped from the car and started biting the back of Terry's thigh, Mountain View Police Chief Scott Vermeer said.
Terry, who had eight stitches removed Wednesday, accuses the officers of racial profiling and police brutality and has filed a complaint with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He has said he plans to sue the city but has not yet retained a lawyer.
The FBI plans to review Terry's medical records, interview him, his girlfriend and the officers, and forward what they find to the U.S. Department of Justice, which would decide whether a formal investigation is necessary.
Tino is off duty and staying at Thomas' home while Mountain View police investigate.
Police plan to conduct interviews with Tino's trainer, an outside contractor, and hire another canine training consultant to review the incident, whether Tino should remain a police dog and whether the department's training process is adequate.
Vermeer said he's glad the FBI is involved. ``We welcome it.''
More information on what Mountain View police are doing about the dog bite incident is available at www.ci. mtnview.ca.us/citydepts/ pd/pd_home.htm
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