A federal judge yesterday awarded an Alexandria man more than $200,000 after he was attacked and seriously injured by a police dog in 2001.
Arlex Paz was awarded $209,357.94 by U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris, who ruled that Paz' s constitutional rights were violated when an Alexandria police officer "failed to give verbal warning before deploying his police dog to seize" him.
Officer Todd Branson was responding to a 911 call of a burglary in progress June 29, 2001, when he began chasing Paz, court records stated. After telling Paz he was under arrest, he released his police dog, Swifty, without warning, records show. The dog bit Paz numerous times on his right leg, according to the records.
Paz was later found guilty of a peeping offense, court records show.
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