A law enforcement operation in Florence last week took an unexpected turn in a case that could be summed up as “man bites police K-9,” when a man not connected to the investigation was arrested after a confrontation with officers, according to the Florence Police Department.
The incident happened April 22 when the Lauderdale County Drug Task Force was executing a search warrant with assistance from the Florence-Lauderdale SWAT team and the department’s K-9 unit.
Police said David Culliver, 46, of Sheffield, arrived at the scene during the operation and inserted himself into the situation.
According to authorities, Culliver became belligerent, yelled at officers, and repeatedly stepped into an active roadway with moving traffic. Officers said they warned him multiple times to leave the roadway for his safety, but he continued to disrupt traffic and confront law enforcement.
When officers attempted to take him into custody, Culliver allegedly resisted and pulled away as officers tried to place him in handcuffs. A police K-9 was then deployed to assist.
Body camera footage released by the Florence Police Department shows the full encounter from multiple angles during the April 22 incident.
During the encounter, Culliver allegedly grabbed one of the K-9’s legs and bit the dog, according to police. Officers struck Culliver in an effort to make him release the animal before taking him to the ground and placing him in handcuffs.
Culliver was transported to North Alabama Medical Center, where he was treated for puncture wounds from the K-9 before being booked into the Lauderdale County Detention Center.
He is charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, public intoxication, and interfering with a police dog. Culliver is being held on a $2,500 bond and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The Florence Police Department said it released full body camera footage to provide additional context beyond shorter clips circulating on social media, noting the videos capture the entire encounter.
After review, the department determined the use of force in the incident was justified.
Officials also provided a timeline indicating Culliver returned to the scene multiple times over a roughly 30-minute period before officers moved to arrest him shortly after 7 p.m.
Sherri Blevins is a writer for 256 Today.
