Written by In January 1991, Officer Papastathis was involved in the apprehension of a suspect, Gibson, who was unarmed and had a hearing impairment. During the arrest, Papastathis released his police dog, which bit Gibson multiple times, causing severe injuries that required extensive medical treatment, including surgeries and skin grafts. Prior to this incident, Papastathis had been involved in ten other cases over a three-and-a-half-year period where his police dog injured individuals, four of whom required hospitalization. Despite these incidents, there was no evidence of disciplinary action taken against Papastathis by the Clarksville Police Department. A lawsuit was filed against the City of Clarksville alleging excessive force and inadequate supervision of K-9 units. The court found material factual disputes regarding the use of excessive force and the city’s policies, leading to a denial of summary judgment for the city. The case highlighted concerns about the department’s oversight and training of officers handling police dogs.
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