Watch video: Alabama man bites police dog after the K-9 bites his leg during arrest

A chaotic arrest in Florence, Alabama turned unusual when a man who was not part of a police investigation was bitten by a police dog, and then bit the dog back.

On the evening of April 22, 2026, officers from the Lauderdale County Drug Task Force, along with SWAT and K-9 units from the Florence Police Department, were serving a search warrant on North Locust Street.

This was an active law-enforcement operation related to a drug investigation.



David Culliver, 46, of Sheffield, was not a suspect in the case. Police say he came near the scene, started yelling at officers, and repeatedly walked into traffic, creating a safety risk for himself and others.

Officers told him multiple times to move away. He did not. Because he continued to disrupt the scene and ignore orders, officers decided to arrest him.

As officers tried to handcuff Culliver, he resisted.

During the struggle, a police K-9 was deployed to help control him. The dog bit Culliver’s leg.

As Culliver was being bitten by the police K-9, he grabbed the dog’s leg and bit it back before officers struck him in the head and upper body to make him release the animal. Police eventually subdued and handcuffed him.

Culliver suffered puncture wounds from the dog bite and was taken to North Alabama Medical Center for treatment before being booked into jail.

Following the incident, Culliver was transported to the hospital and subsequently booked into the Lauderdale County Detention Center. He faces several charges including resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, public intoxication, and interfering with a police dog, and remains in custody on a $2,500 bond.

There is no report that the K-9 suffered serious injury.

The Florence Police Department released about 12 minutes of body-camera footage to show the full context, after shorter clips began circulating online without explanation.

Police stated that the K-9 deployment and use of force were reviewed and considered justified based on Culliver’s resistance.

Police dogs are trained to help control resisting suspects, but it is extremely rare for someone to bite a K-9 in return. That unusual moment, caught on camera, is why the video spread quickly online.