Police Dog Mauls Black Man in Front of His Son During Traffic Stop
Derrick Dunlap, a 54-year-old Black man, was severely injured after a police dog attacked him during a traffic stop in Denison, Texas, on May 25, 2023.
According to Dunlap’s attorneys, he was pulled over by Denison police for having a dim license plate light. Body camera footage obtained by HuffPost shows the officer, identified as Tyler Buchanan, unleashing the dog on Dunlap as his 9-year-old son watched in horror.
Dunlap was unarmed and had his hands up when the dog repeatedly bit him. He is heard asking the officer, ‘Why did you tell him to bite me?’ while lying face-down and still being attacked.
Buchanan responded, ‘Give me your f—ing hand, man,’ and handcuffed Dunlap while the dog continued to bite him.
Dunlap’s shirt was ripped open by this point, and several bite marks were visible on his back. His son yelled at Buchanan to not kill his father.
Dunlap was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries. Pictures from the incident obtained by HuffPost confirm there were bite marks in several places on Dunlap’s back.
Dunlap filed a lawsuit against Buchanan in December, alleging excessive force and civil rights violations. The Denison Police Department has not publicly acknowledged the incident or taken any disciplinary action against Buchanan.
‘Tyler Buchanan betrayed his badge and the code of ethics and should be held fully accountable for his wrongful acts,’ said civil rights attorney Daryl Washington in a statement. ‘What Tyler Buchanan did to Derrick was demeaning and flat-out hateful.’
Washington added that issues with the Denison Police Department are not always getting attention because small-town culture discourages residents from voicing their complaints.
‘They are accustomed to getting away with these kinds of things because no one complains. In these smaller cities this is kind of what you expect to happen,’ Washington told HuffPost.
Denison police did not respond to requests for comment on the footage obtained or lawsuit.
