FBI Probes case of Handcuffed Black Man Attacked by Mountain View Police Dog

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. FBI Agent 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. [more