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Utah Officer Charged with Assault for Ordering K9 to Attack Black Man

HeadlineSep 18, 2020

A warning to viewers: The following story contains disturbing images of police violence. In Utah, a Salt Lake City police officer has been charged with felony aggravated assault after body camera footage showed him ordering a police dog to attack a Black man who was on his knees with his hands in the air. Prosecutors say 36-year-old Jeffery Ryans was not resisting arrest and posed no threat to officers before the April assault, which left Ryans with severe nerve and tendon damage to his leg. If convicted, officer Nickolas Pearce faces up to 15 years in prison.

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