Two Alaska State troopers have been criminally charged after they brutally assaulted and unleashed a police dog that repeatedly bit a man they mistook as a person who was the subject of an active warrant.
Sergeant Joseph Miller, 49, and canine handler Jason Woodruff, 42, were both charged with assault in the fourth degree, a misdemeanor, in connection with the May 24 incident in Kenai.
Kenai is a city that sits on the Kenai River, southwest of Anchorage.
James Cockrell, the Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Public Safety, said in a press conference Thursday he was “sickened” by body camera footage of the incident.
“I’ve been with this department for 33 years and I’ve never seen any action like this before by an Alaska State Trooper,” he told reporters.
Hit with a stun gun, kicked and repeatedly bit
In the May 24 incident, Alaska State troopers and Kenai police were notified about possible illegal camping in a vehicle at a dog park in Soldotna, advised that the SUV was associated with Garrett Tikka.
Tikka had an active warrant for failing to serve a 10-day sentence for driving with a revoked license.
However, when troopers responded to the car, they failed verify the occupant’s identity, Cockrell said. The man inside was not Garrett Tikka, but his cousin Ben Tikka.
Cockrell said that troopers saw a man in the back of the vehicle and ordered him out, saying he had a warrant for his arrest. The man disputed that and refused to exit.
Miller then broke out the rear window and deployed pepper spray on the person in the back of the vehicle, Cockrell said.
When Tikka finally exited the car, Miller kicked him, punched him in the back of the head or neck, then stepped on his head pushing it into the ground covered with broken glass from the smashed window, Cockrell said.
Miller deployed his Taser multiple times in the attempt to handcuff the man, and Woodruff deployed his canine as the man was beginning to comply with commands. The police dog bit the man repeatedly at Woodruff’s command, Cockrell said, as he was lying face-down with his hands behind his back. Charging documents said that the dog, named Olex, had also bitten its handler Woodruff minutes earlier.
Tikka, covered in blood, begged: “Please stop the dog. Please stop the dog,” charging documents said.
Ultimately, the man was placed in handcuffs, provided first aid by other troopers and taken to an area hospital for treatment.
He was arrested on several counts, including fourth degree assault for placing troopers in fear of physical injury. The Kenai District Attorney’s Office later dismissed the case.
It was only when Tikka was being taken to the hospital that troopers realized they had the wrong man.
Ben Tikka was left in need of surgery for muscle lacerations, suffered a fractured shoulder, cuts to his head and an open dog bite on his left upper arm.
An image taken from a body camera video of an altercation between Alaska State Troopers and Ben Tikka, in Soldotna, Alaska, on May 24, 2024.Third Judicial District of the State of Alaska / APOfficer actions are ‘not acceptable’
A standard review of use of force and K-9 officer involved cases was done after the incident. The commander who reviewed it, determined “there may have been multiple violations of policy” and it was brought to the attention of leadership. From there, Cockrell personally reviewed body worn camera footage and ordered a criminal investigation.
It was probed by the Alaska Bureau of Investigation and subsequently referred to the The Alaska Department of Law’s Office of Special Prosecutions, which filed criminal complaints Wednesday.
“Let me be clear, the actions of these two individuals is not acceptable to me, not in the line of our training and our policy and I know is not acceptable to the Alaskans that we serve,” Cockrell said Thursday.
Cockrell appeared visibly shaken as he told reporters the troopers should have confirmed who the occupant of the car was before breaking the window.
Deputy Attorney General John Skidmore told reporters that he couldn’t recall such charges being filed against a trooper in the 25 years he’s worked with the state, though the state had previously filed excessive use of force charges against police in Bethel and Anchorage.
Officials said Thursday that the Alaska Department of Public Safety will not release body camera footage to the public from the incident until the criminal case is over.
Miller is a 14-year employee of Alaska DPS and Woodruff is a 16-year employee, both most recently serving in Soldotna.
Both officers are now on administrative leave and the canine officer involved is no longer in service, officials said Thursday. Cockrell said officials are investigating some past incidents involving those officers for possible violations.
No attorney was listed Friday for Miller. NBC News has reached out to an attorney listed for Woodruff. Both men are due in court on September 10.
The Kenai Police Department said in a statement Friday that its force conducted an internal investigation into the actions of its officers who responded to that May 24 call.
“We do believe Kenai Police Officers acted appropriately and we do not believe that Kenai Police Officers violated department policy or the law in this case,” Chief David Ross said.
Kenai police cooperated fully with the criminal investigation conducted by the Alaska Bureau of Investigations into the May 24 call, Ross said, noting that any evidence — including its officer body camera footage — won’t be released publicly until the Alaska Department of Public Safety and the Alaska Department of Law conclude their case.
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Publish date : 2024-08-16 06:18:00
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