A shocking video has emerged from a police dash-cam of a woman being savagely mauled by a K-9 as she was arrested in New Jersey.
The footage which is three years old has only just been made public in the last few days as the woman involved in the attack, Wendy Tucker, 60, launched a lawsuit against the cops and police departments who were handling the animal in her arrest.
The video, which was taken in January 2014 shows a Barnegat, New Jersey police officer in the parking lot of police headquarters, screaming at Tucker to get out of her car following a police pursuit.
He and another officer then dragged Tucker out of her car, causing her to fall face-down on the pavement as Tuckerton police officer Justin Cherry ran toward them with his K-9 partner, Gunner.
Cherry released his K-9 partner onto Tucker despite her clearly being in police custody.
A police dash-cam video shows Wendy Tucker, 60, being mauled by a K-9
Tucker is suing the New Jersey police department involved saying she was already in police custody and there was no need for the dog to be used
The officer has been suspended without pay since the attack almost four years ago.
According to App.com Cherry and another officer had been called to a Tuckerton home where Tucker was said to be unwelcome.
Cops then found out that that she had a suspended licence.
Despite telling police she would take the bus back home, officer Cherry saw her driving her car away from the area.
The officer attempted to stop Tucker’s vehicle, but she did not stop and so they began to follow her and even got officers from the neighboring township involved in an effort to bring her to a halt.
Police then yelled at Tucker to get out of her car and two police officers pulled her out of the vehicle.
She then fell onto the ground as the K-9, Gunner, ran towards her.
The German Shepherd held its mouth onto Tucker for almost 30 seconds as officer Cherry yelled at her to place both of her hands round her back.
35-year-old Tuckerton police officer Justin M. Cherry has been suspended without pay since 2014. he can be seen here in the center of the picture holding his dog which bites Tucker
Eventually the dog is pulled back as an officer from another police department arrests Tucker
Almost half-a-minute later, Gunner the dog was finally pulled off Tucker.
The was released under New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act after a prolonged court battle and is a key piece of evidence in a criminal prosecution of Cherry.
Officer Cherry has already been indicted twice in connection with the incident but both indictments were later dropped.
Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Weatherstone said he plans to bring the matter to another grand jury for another indictment attempt.
Tucker, who subsequently pleaded guilty to eluding police, has a civil lawsuit pending against Cherry and the Tuckerton and Barnegat police departments.