An investigation into the conduct of a Florida police department’s K-9 unit has determined officers did not violate policy when arresting a Black motorist. Despite the man sustaining permanent injuries, both an internal investigation and an independent firm assessed the use of force was not inappropriate.

Terrell Bradley before and after gruesome attack

On Thursday, Sept. 8, Gainesville Police Chief Lonnie Scott announced the finding by his department’s internal affair and an outside consulting firm, V2 Global, believe two officers, who are still on paid suspension while another investigation is being completed, did not violate the civil rights of Terrell Bradley when they arrested him on Sunday, July 10, according to WUFT.org.

“We stand by our commitment to be fully transparent and share information as we’re able,” Scott said, as he released footage of the incident.

In a 24:51 minute video, titled “GPDTV Community Briefing regarding the K9 Apprehension,” the African-American chief maintains they are releasing the footage in an effort to be transparent about how “Bradley lost an eye during his apprehension.”

Please be advised the video below is graphic.

Scott noted the community has seen an uptick in police presence because of the recent rise in criminal activity in Sweetwater Square Apartments located at 3501 N.E. 15th St.

He informed that from the first day of the year, until the day of Bradley’s mauling, there were 373 911 calls from neighbors to the Gainesville Police Department. Because of this, officers on that apartment complex beat have been told to make their presence known, hoping to deter violence, adding “this effort includes an increase in traffic enforcement.”

In regard to the Bradley case, Scott said the investigation looked at police bodycam, surveillance footage, analyzed tons of evidence, and interviewed neighbors who witnessed the botched traffic stop.

The incident took place at the Eden Park Apartments, 1330 NE 39th Avenue, approximately 15 minutes away from Sweetwater Square, at 10:39 p.m.

Officer Andrew Milman observed Bradley’s red Chrysler 300 leave the Sweetwater Square apartments without yielding to traffic laws, violating Florida State Statute 316-125.

The car is captured by two separate cameras making the illegal move — he drove into traffic without completely stopping when leaving the parking lot, prompting Milman to follow him with his lights and siren on.

Bradley’s car turns west into the Eden Park Apartment complex, stopping at building two.

Milman’s bodycam shows him exiting his car and going to engage Bradley, however a minute of the video is not heard due to standard buffering of the equipment.

Milman, according to Castor, tells Bradley to keep his hands in plain sight. The cop also saw a bag of cannabis on the center console and could smell it in the car. Recreational adult use of cannabis is illegal in the state of Florida.

When he continued to move his hands, even reaching under his seat, and allegedly demonstrated behavior opposing the officer’s instruction, Bradley was asked to get out of the car. The camera captures Bradley checking his phone before following the order.

Milman says, “Do me a favor, ’cause you are acting nervous… hop out for me. When you hop out, face the vehicle for me.”

He gets out and mumbles, “How am I acting nervous.”

The video shows Milman aggressively grabbing Bradley as soon as he gets out. It is unclear if Bradley made a threatening gesture toward the officer, but after he says, “I am not doing nothing,” he breaks away and runs into the complex.

Police later say Bradley elbowed Milman before breaking out for an escape.

While Milman is chasing, two other officers are searching Bradley’s car.

At first, the cops said they did not find anything, but after a few minutes, they found a loaded handgun with an extended magazine between the driver’s seat and the extended console.

The officers also had his wallet and through his ID determined Bradley was a convicted felon and was not allowed to have a firearm in his possession.

“Also, Bradley did not have a concealed weapon permit to allow him to carry a concealed weapon,” Castor said.

Later, officers determined the firearm was stolen.

Between 10:50 p.m. and 10:59 p.m., after confirming narcotics, a stolen loaded handgun, his previous felonious charges, and his assaulting and running away from an officer, Sgt. Kikendall called for a K-9 unit to come to the scene. K-9 units, according to the GPD briefing, “can only be deployed for criminal apprehensions for specific felony crimes.”

Bradley’s felony conviction was 12 years ago.

“The K-9 is authorized to track for any felony which involves the use or threat of physical force or violence against any individual,” the briefing noted. “An example of this is: if the failure to apprehend the subject poses an imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death to the general public or a law enforcement officer.”

The officers on the scene believed Bradley to be dangerous and possibly armed.

When the K-9 unit arrived, Bradley was hidden in the bushes on the side of the complex near building 5.

The dog, whose name is Ranger, was secured with a 15-foot leash while he was tracking the suspect and at some point, after sniffing around the building a huge cry was let out. Bradley had been discovered.

Officer Meurer, who is partnered with the dog, is asking for the man to show him his hands and come out, but Bradley just moaned.

“He got me, son, I’m done. I’m done,” Bradley says as he cries out. The dog, with very little noise and no growling, seems to have bitten the man.

“Get the dog. Get the dog,” he kept yelling before revealing, “he ripped my finger off.”

After this Meurer pulls Ranger back, only then does the dog start barking, needing to be yanked back in restraint.

Another officer attempts to handcuff and detain Bradley, and that’s when he reveals the dog ripped his eye out. The graphic video shows the bloody suspect lying on the ground with an officer over him and placing him under arrest.

The officers call from EMS, indicating “EMS hot” to note the urgency of the situation. Bradley continues to scream about his injury, as one cop, Officer Ripley says, “Well shouldn’t run from the police.”

In agony, Bradley keeps saying, “I can’t see.” After the ambulance is on its way, he is helped up by officers who walk him to the parking lot.  

To keep him from blacking out from the recent trauma he just experienced, Officer Theophin lifted Bradley’s head with his knees, showing the right eye hanging out of its socket.

“The dog ate my eye out,” Bradley said to the officer, who responded, “Shouldn’t have been running, bro. Shouldn’t have been running.”

Bradley said, “I ain’t doing sh— wrong, bro. People getting killed by polices, what the f— you mean I shouldn’t be running?”

A neighbor is heard saying, “They wanted him to eat you up really, to be honest with you. That’s what they train them to do.”

Officer Henderson, a Black officer, quips, “goodnight, Auntie,” and then she leaves.

Two white officers asked their colleague if they were really related, and when he said they weren’t, Officer Marshall responded, “I’d get in trouble if I said that.”

Eventually, Bradley asks for water and is obliged by an officer identified as Cpl. Stephens poured it into his mouth.

EMS arrives and they lift him to the stretcher and then cuff him as he is taken to get medical attention at UF Health Shands Hospital.

The briefing is the collection of an internal review by the GPD. Still, after reviewing all the evidence, V2 Global, also found no violation of GPD’s policy, stating the department is actually more restrictive than other K-9 units in the country and above industry standards.

One critique was that the K-9 unit could be more diverse.

The chief said he does not have plans to change his unit, stating out of the 129 K-9 deployments of 2021, only 12 resulted in a suspect getting bit.

Immediately after Bradley’s gory arrest, protests sparked with people asking for answers. In response, the K-9 unit was relieved of its patrol duties. Scott intends, after additional training, to bring them back and place them back into active service.