2 Michigan officers accused of using excessive force involving K-9

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Two police officers in southeast Michigan will face multiple criminal charges for allegedly using excessive force during an arrest earlier this year.

Late Tuesday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced charges against two officers with the Sterling Heights Police Department: 31-year-old James Sribniak and 29-year-old Jack Currie.

The two officers were involved in the arrest of a person suspected of domestic violence back in February. According to Nessel’s office, the suspect first fled a traffic stop. The officers tracked him down and another chase started on foot. The officers were able to get the suspect on the ground by hitting him twice with a Taser.

With the suspect down and seemingly under control, Officer Currie urged Sribniak to deploy his K-9 partner to attack. Sribniak then ordered the dog to bite the suspect, which it did, on their right hip.

Upon review, Nessel’s office determined that the attack from the K-9 was excessive, calling it both “illegal” and “horrific.”

“K9 assistance can be a valuable tool for law enforcement but must be deployed with good judgment,” Nessel said in a statement. “K9 Officers are rigorously trained in the proper use of police dogs and should be held to the highest standards of conduct. We should be able to trust them not to deploy a dog as an unnecessary and unlawful punitive measure.”

Both officers face two felony charges: one count of felonious assault and one count of misconduct in office. The two charges carry a total maximum sentence of nine years in prison.

As of Tuesday evening, neither officer had been arraigned. Future court dates have yet to be set.

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