ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Englewood police officers are under scrutiny after a video surfaced showing them using a Taser on an unarmed man as they forcibly took his dog. The man, who is unhoused, appeared confused and distressed, repeatedly asking officers why his dog was being taken away. The incident, which occurred on July 25, is now the subject of an internal investigation.
The video, recorded by a bystander, captures David Bayne sitting on a bench outside the Englewood Civic Center, his dog by his side. He is surrounded by officers from Code Enforcement, Animal Welfare, and the Englewood Police Department. According to the police, they were called to assist in seizing Bayne's dog due to a severe infection that Bayne was accused of not treating.
The video does not show officers explaining the reason for the dog’s removal to Bayne, nor do they seem fully aware themselves.
“I know you've had this dog for a long time. I honestly don't know why they're taking the dog,” one officer can be heard telling Bayne in the video.
Bayne, visibly distressed, repeatedly questioned the officers, stating that he did not want to relinquish his dog. According to a statement from Englewood Police, officers had warned Bayne days earlier about the dog’s need for urgent medical care.
The full police statement is provided at the end of this article.
The situation escalated when an officer informed Bayne that if he did not hand over the dog, he would be charged with resisting arrest.
“You guys are trying to intimidate me and forcefully take my dog,” Bayne yelled at the officers.
Englewood Police claimed that officers used crisis intervention techniques and attempted to de-escalate the situation for seven minutes. However, the video only shows the four minutes leading up to the officer using a Taser on Bayne. During this time, the interaction between Bayne and the officer becomes increasingly tense, with the officer eventually raising his voice.
“Instead of working towards what we would call peaceful compliance with enforcement, it was anything but that,” said Regan Benson, director of the nonprofit Helping Hands for Dignity Coalition, who has been assisting Bayne in finding housing.
The video, Benson said, is difficult to watch. It shows Bayne screaming for help as officers warn him that they will use a Taser on him if he does not stand up. Bayne, however, remains seated, clutching the bench. Police stated that this action constituted active resistance, prompting the officer to deploy the Taser.
> Watch the unedited video below
The footage shows Bayne screaming in pain as the officer yells, “Hands behind your back. I’m gonna tase you again. Put your hands behind your back.”
As Bayne is restrained, the video shifts to show other officers taking the dog away. Another Taser is heard being fired, followed by Bayne’s agonized screams for help. Englewood Police reported that Bayne was taken into custody but later released with a municipal summons for animal neglect and additional charges from Arapahoe County for resisting arrest, obstructing a police officer, and obstructing governmental operations.
The dog was taken to a shelter for medical treatment and has since been returned to Bayne.
Englewood Police noted that Bayne had previous encounters with law enforcement, where he allegedly exhibited violent behavior. Despite this, Benson believes the use of a Taser in this situation was excessive.
“While David is not a saint, while David is not doing right by that dog, this is unwarranted, period,” she stated.
The Englewood Police Department has confirmed that an internal affairs investigation is ongoing, though all officers involved remain on active duty. Police are continuing to gather video evidence and have promised to expedite the investigation. However, they have declined to release the names of the officers involved.
Benson, whose nonprofit works primarily with people experiencing homelessness in the Denver Metro Area, expressed frustration over what she perceives as a pattern of aggressive policing in Englewood.
“He'll remain on active duty. He won't receive any discipline. He'll be emboldened and empowered to go out there and do the same thing… In the case of law enforcement, we seem to continue to give them free passes,” Benson remarked, criticizing the lack of accountability for such actions.
Full statement from Englewood Police Department:
- On 7/25/24 at about 1:47 p.m., Englewood Police Officers were called to assist Code Enforcement/Animal Welfare at 1000 Englewood Pkwy. Code Enforcement/Animal Welfare was contacting a male and his dog there, because the dog needed urgent medical care and to serve the owner a summons for animal neglect of the dog. The animal had an active infection of a large open wound that the owner was not caring for.
- Days earlier, the owner was advised to get the animal cared for or he would be charged with animal neglect and the dog would be taken so that it could get the necessary treatment.
- When contacted on 7/25, The Code Enforcement/Animal Welfare Officer observed that the wounds on the dog remained and in fact had gotten worse. The owner refused to cooperate with the officers and the decision was made to impound the dog so that it could be medically treated and to issue the owner a summons for Animal Neglect.
- The male had previously exhibited violent tendencies in encounters with Code Enforcement, Englewood Police Officers and the public.
- The Code Officer had been speaking with the male and told him that he needed to take the dog to provide it with medical care. The male forcefully stated that no one was going to take his dog and he was verbally noncompliant.
- Other Officers arrived and attempted to verbally de-escalate the situation in an attempt to peacefully take the dog. Officers utilized crisis intervention techniques, based on advanced training from CIT (Crisis Intervention Team). In all, officers talked to the owner of the dog for approximately 7 minutes to try to get him to cooperate.
- The male continued to argue and was advised that if he did not give the dog up, he would be arrested for obstruction. The male refused and was then advised he was under arrest. Officers attempted to place the male into custody, but he grabbed the bench he was sitting on and held into it, resisting arrest and not allowing officers to take him into custody.
- Because the arrestee was actively resisting arrest, and the male presented the potential to harm officers or others, a Taser was deployed to assist in taking him into custody. This Taser deployment is a lesser amount of force than using other types of physical force and is a tool to lessen the potential of injury for the arrestee and for the officer.
- The dog was transferred to the Humane Society of the South Platte Valley for medical treatment.
- The male was taken into custody and later released on a municipal summons for Animal Neglect, and an Arapahoe County summons for Resisting Arrest, Obstructing a Police Officer and Obstructing Governmental Operations.
- On the day of this arrest, staff at the police department was made aware of this situation and had received a complaint regarding the actions of the officer. Staff ordered an immediate internal affairs investigation, per policy, and we are requiring that this investigation be expedited.
- All video footage of the incident is being collected. This includes all officers’ body worn cameras as well as surveillance cameras in the area.
- All available witnesses have or will be given an opportunity to make a statement.
- All officers present were required to write reports and/or statements regarding this call for service, per policy.
- In conjunction with the Use of Force Review Committee, Instructors in the use of force disciplines will review this case.
- Upon completion of the internal affairs investigation, the report will be thoroughly reviewed to determine if any policy or training standards were violated – and if so, appropriate corrective or disciplinary action will be taken.
- All officers involved in this arrest are still on active duty.