Michigan trooper charged after siccing K-9 on suspect for minutes after he surrendered

A Michigan State Police canine handler was charged Friday with felonious assault for siccing his dog on a suspect for several minutes after he had already surrendered in Lansing.

Trooper Parker Surbrook has been suspended without pay and was charged in 54-A District Court in Lansing. He faces up to four years in prison.

The incident began about 11 p.m. on Nov. 13, when Surbrook was asked to pull over a car in which the passenger was suspected of having a gun. The car fled and crashed into a tree.

When Surbrook arrived, he deployed his canine on the driver, who was on the ground and injured from the crash.

"Stop him! Stop him!” Surbrook told the canine. “Stay on the ground, motherfucker.”

The driver quickly surrendered, but for several minutes, the dog bit the driver’s genitals, face, neck, legs, arms, chest, and pelvis as he screamed and writhed in pain, a police video shows.

During much of the attack, the victim was pleading with Surbrook to subdue the dog, and he was “not displaying physical active resistance,” a state police sergeant concluded in an incident report.

“I’m not moving, please get him,” the driver cried out, saying his leg was broken from the crash. “Please, sir, he’s on my face.”

Pointing his gun at the driver, Surbrook responded, “I don’t care.”

At one point, Surbrook also kicked another suspect in the chest and face.

After backup arrived, Surbrook ordered the dog to let go of the victim.

“Good boy, good boy,” Surbrook praised the dog.

Col. Joe Gasper, director of the Michigan State Police, said Surbrook’s actions crossed the line.

“The Michigan State Police is an agency that prides itself in our troopers’ abilities to react with calm and confidence even in the most dangerous and harrowing of circumstances,” Gasper said in a statement. “While the unfortunate reality for police officers is that use of force is sometimes a necessary action to ensure the protection of themselves or others, care and concern for human life should always be at the forefront of any police officer’s actions. This makes Trooper Surbrook’s disregard of the driver’s pleas for help totally unacceptable.”

You can see the video below.


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