The Spokane City Council on Monday unanimously approved a $200,000 settlement with a man who claims he suffered injuries from a K9 used by Spokane police in 2022 while he was incapacitated after threatening suicide.
The city spent as much $175,000 on legal defense to fight the lawsuit brought by Andrei Johnson. Johnson claims he had held a shard of glass to his own neck and was hit with stun guns and foam rounds after a failed de-escalation attempt by Spokane police.
Johnson alleges that Officer Todd Belitz then deployed a K9 while Johnson was prone and incapacitated, and that the dog caused “catastrophic injuries to his face and head” while officers stood and watched…