(WWJ) A trooper with the Michigan State Police Canine Unit has been charged with felonious assault after it's alleged he let his dog attack a motorist.
MSP said the case against Parker Surbrook comes following a Nov. 13, 2020 traffic stop in Lansing during which a passenger was believed to be armed. The driver fled, crashed into a tree and had exited his vehicle, when Surbrook and a local police officer arrived at the scene.
State Police say Surbrook let his dog attack the driver "for an extended period of time," despite the face that the man was not resisting arrest.
An investigation found Surbrook’s actions during this incident, which were captured on his patrol vehicle’s in-car camera, "were not in keeping with the standards of professional conduct expected by members of the MSP, nor do the totality of his actions fully align with training and policy for canine handlers," MSP said.
Surbrook was placed on leave in December and presented the results of its criminal investigation to prosecutors last month.
View a copy of the investigative report HERE.
As a result of this incident, MSP said Surbrook was also removed from the Canine Unit and his dog was reassigned to another handler.
“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,” said MSP Director Col. Joe Gasper, 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.”
Surbrook will remain on unpaid suspension pending adjudication of the criminal case.