A man in northern Alabama was arrested [1] Wednesday after police said he interfered with an active law enforcement operation and later became involved in a physical confrontation with officers and a police K-9.
According to the Florence Police Department, David Culliver, 46, of Sheffield, was taken into custody in Florence while officers were executing a search warrant as part of a drug task force operation.
Authorities said Culliver was not connected to the investigation but inserted himself into the situation.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the department said, “Culliver was not involved in the investigation and inserted himself into the situation. He became belligerent, yelled at officers, and stepped into an active roadway with flowing traffic.”
Police said Culliver was repeatedly instructed to move out of the roadway for his own safety.
According to reports from WAAY, officers warned him multiple times to step off the road to avoid being struck by vehicles.
Authorities said he refused and continued stepping into traffic, disrupting the flow of vehicles.
Officers then attempted to arrest Culliver, but he resisted efforts to place him in handcuffs, according to WAFF.
WATCH:
Body camera footage released by the Florence Police Department shows the encounter as officers struggled to gain control of him.
The nearly 12-minute video, reported by AL.com, captures Culliver asking why he was being arrested while pulling away from officers as they attempted to restrain him.
At one point, four officers are seen surrounding him during the struggle.
During the confrontation, officers deployed a K-9. According to the footage and reports, one officer secured Culliver’s upper body while another held his legs as the dog was commanded to engage.
Culliver was bitten by the K-9 and responded by grabbing the animal’s leg.
Officers can be seen striking him in the head and upper body as they attempted to get him to release the dog.
“Let go of my dog,” an officer said during the encounter.
“Your dog got me,” Culliver responded.
Authorities said Culliver then bit the K-9.
Officers struck him several more times before he was eventually subdued and placed in handcuffs, according to AL.com.
Culliver was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, public intoxication, and interfering with a police dog.
He was transported to the Lauderdale County Detention Center, where he was booked on a $2,500 bond.
The police department released the full body camera video following the incident, noting that shorter clips circulating online did not provide a complete view of the events.
“Shortened videos shared online often present only a limited perspective and may not fully show the sequence of events,” the department said in its statement.
“Viewing the complete footage is essential to understanding the full context of the situation and ensuring an accurate representation of what occurred.”
Police also said the incident had undergone internal review.
“The incident has been thoroughly reviewed, and the use of force applied has been determined to be justified,” the department stated.
Authorities have not indicated whether any additional charges will be filed or if further investigation is ongoing.