Talladega District Attorneys office investigating K-9 attacks

Over the past month, residents in one Talladega community said that five people in their area have been mauled by a police K-9 dog.  The Talladega District Attorney’s office is conducting an investigation into an incident involving its police K-9 unit that left a man in bad condition.  The Talladega Downs apartment community is fed up.  Chris Altwyman said he was coming from a friends house before he encountered police and its K-9. He was allegedly mauled by the K-9 dog and ended up in ICU for four days.  Altwyman said, “After he sprayed me, he put his mace up and completely started beating me in my face in my back.”  No one was in the dark area behind the apartments but the officer and Altwyman, except for an 11-year-old boy up past his bed time who saw the scene from his window.  Cameron Dubose, the eyewitness, said, “I saw a black figure just go by and I just heard some commotion and I just went upstairs, and looked out the window, and I saw the police man turn his flashlight on one time, then he turned it off then I saw him just beating him in the head.”

The incident left Altwyman with 24 staples in his head. Chief Jason Busby with the Talladega Police said, “There was a K-9 apprehension. We did look at it internally and due to the injury involved, we decided that instead of investigating it in-house, we have reached out to the Talladega County District Attorney’s office for them to conduct the investigation.”

 There’s body cam footage of this incident that is not yet being released due to the investigation.

The K-9 will be off the streets during the investigation, and the officer remains on duty.