Police dog choked, eyes gouged during Indiana traffic stop; Wisconsin man faces charges

A Wisconsin man is facing a slew of charges after officials say he choked a police K-9 and tried to gouge the dog's eyes during a traffic stop in Indiana.

Tyler Lee Pollard, 32, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, was driving 86 mph in a 45 mph zone when an officer pulled him over just after 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, Crown Point police said in a news release posted to Facebook on Monday.

Police said Pollard continued speeding for more than a mile before eventually stopping. Although he responded to commands to roll down the car window and put his key fob on the car, police said he refused to get out.

After continuing to refuse to cooperate, police eventually broke Pollard's window and deployed Jack the police dog into the car, police said. That's when Pollard attacked Jack, they said.

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What happened during the police stop?

After Pollard repeatedly refused to get out of his car, police say officers warned him that a police dog would be released.

"The driver remained in the vehicle and refused to exit," they said. "Two Crown Point officers attempted to enter the passenger side of the vehicle, but it was locked. The police then deployed a department-issued baton to break the passenger window glass to enter the vehicle and unlock the doors."

At that point, "after multiple attempts to get the driver to cooperate," Jack was deployed.

Pollard "gouged K-9 Jack’s eyes and grabbed K-9 Jack around the throat with both of his hands, leaving the canine briefly incapacitated and causing his eyes to roll to the back of his head," police said.

Jack's hander, Cpl. David Wilkins, ordered Pollard to release the dog but he refused, police said. A struggle ensued "in an attempt to free the canine from the suspect’s grip."

An officer then used a Taser on Pollard, who released Jack and then had to be forcibly removed from the car while he continued to resist arrest, police said.

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Was Jack the police dog injured?

Police have not released details on any of Jack's injuries but said that a veterinarian gave him a thorough exam and gave him "a clean bill of health." He was in the care of Wilkins.

The 3-year-old shepherd joined the police department at the age of 14 months in September 2021.

Two Crown Point police officers had minor injuries during Pollard's traffic stop and have been cleared for duty.

Pollard was treated for minor injuries at a hospital before being taken to Lake County Jail, where he posted a $2,500 bail and was released from custody.

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What charges will Tyler Lee Pollard face?

In a separate statement on Monday, police said that they presented multiple charges against Pollard to the Lake County Prosecutor's Office and that they were accepted. It's unclear if Pollard has officially been charged as his case doesn't show up in court records.

Police recommended the following charges against him: battery on a public safety official, intimidation, resisting law enforcement, striking and interfering with a law enforcement animal, disorderly conduct and reckless driving.

Crown Point Police also cited Pollard for speeding and for having an open alcoholic container in a car, police said.

It's unclear whether Pollard has an attorney. A person at his landscaping business told USA TODAY that they would give him a message seeking comment on Tuesday.

The Lake County Prosecutor's Office did not return a message seeking comment Tuesday.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @saman_shafiq7.