Richard Bailey Jr., a Black man from Northwestern Indiana, says he was the victim of an “extraordinarily violent” attack by a police dog when he was arrested by Lafayette police officers back in May. As a special prosecutor and the state police investigate those allegations of excessive force, more video footage and audio surrounding Bailey’s arrest has been released by authorities.
Previously released video from Bailey’s lawyers showed officers telling Bailey to get off a moped, warning him that they will use the dog if he does not comply, then releasing the dog. The additional evidence was released on Saturday by police “in response to public concern and media representation that do not include all the facts and circumstances,” according to Chief Patrick Flannelly.
The police’s release includes a 911 call that informs authorities of a man matching Bailey’s description who attacked three people while intoxicated before leaving on a moped. The extra footage shows one officer remarking that Bailey is “clearly intoxicated” as they attempt to arrest him on suspicion of battery.
Bailey’s attorneys say that the 911 gets the story wrong, and that Bailey himself was the one who was attacked. They added that their client could have been killed by the dog attack, as he was in a medically-induced coma for days after the incident.
“They must have been trying to kill Richard Bailey that night, they must have been,” said one of his lawyers, Fatima Johnson. “If a dog bites your neck, its obvious what’s going to happen.”
Johnson also characterized the whole affair as a case of racist policing by three white officers.
“I can unequivocally say that this is about race,” Johnson said Thursday. “If Richard Lee Bailey were not a black man, he would not have been treated like this.”
In response, Chief Flannelly called the claim “a baseless and unfounded accusation.”
