Man attacked by K-9 in case of mistaken identity sues city of Houston
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It's been two years, but Dwight Fields isn't able to forget the injuries he suffered from a run-in with police.
"On my rib cage and my whole leg," Fields says, showing Eyewitness News some of his scars.
The healed up bite marks are a constant reminder of what Fields calls the scariest day of his life.
"I just felt like I was about to die right there. There's not a second in my life right now today that I don't think about that incident," he said.
It all happened in September of 2016.
"Here comes police, chasing this guy," said Fields.
A suspect was leading HPD on a chase right through Field's southwest Houston neighborhood. When the suspect got to Furlong, he jumped out of his car and took off running.
Fields says he watched it unfold from his garage and then even tried to help police catch the fleeing suspect.
"I told the officer, 'Hey man, if you go around the other side of that wooden fence, he's right there,' so he says, 'Come show me," Fields explained.
Fields says that's when another officer suddenly approached him.
"He looked at me, then he looked at the dog to put my hands up and say, 'Hey man, I'm not the guy. I'm not the guy," said Fields.
According to the lawsuit, HPD Officer Paul Foster, mistaking Fields as the suspect, grabbed him, putting him in a choke hold. Then the K-9 attacked Fields.
"I was on the ground and (the officer) was choking me. Other officers had to get him off of me. And they're telling him as well, This is the wrong guy,'" said Fields.
The lawsuit claims the dog was biting Fields for two minutes. He had to get staples in his groin, ribs and legs.
"I'm sitting in a chair bleeding. I lost a pint and a half of blood and I started fading in and out of consciousness," he said.
Fields says Officer Foster did apologize for the mistake. Now, he wants HPD to take a closer look at more training when it comes to the use of K-9s and officer communications on scene.
"All of that could've been avoided had he listen the other officers," said Fields.
