New felony charge for SLCPD K-9 officer at center of investigation kjzz.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kjzz.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
| Updated: 12:51 a.m.
A Salt Lake City police officer faces a second felony charge for ordering his dog to bite someone, who prosecutors say wasn’t a threat.
In this latest aggravated assault charge, Officer Nickolas Pearce allegedly lifted up his K-9, Tuco, so the dog could bite a woman who was in a suspected stolen vehicle.
Prosecutors allege in charging records that police pulled the woman over in 2019. She had followed police commands to turn off the vehicle, toss out the keys and put her hands out the window. She was ordered to get out, but didn’t prosecutors noted she moved very little, kept her arms out the window and did not make any threats or aggressive movements toward the officers, who had their guns drawn. Then, Pearce and his dog approached.