SHEFFIELD, Ala. (WHNT) – A “crime against humanity” is how a civil rights attorney is describing a K9 dog attack on his client in Sheffield. 

According to Sheffield Police Department (SPD), Marvin Long was resisting arrest. The incident happened on the front porch of Long’s home in June 2021.  

The body cam video shows Sheffield Police officers grabbing an unarmed 53-year-old Long on his porch following a verbal exchange.  

His civil attorney, Harry Daniels, says what led to the exchange and why, is what disturbs him the most. 

“What we understand in the video kind of speaks for itself. There was no resistance there. You cannot resist an unlawful arrest, that’s a law,” said Daniels. 

The video first shows a verbal exchange between the officers and Long during an unrelated arrest in front of his home. The exchange led to Long holding onto the frame of his front door and then several officers pulled him down. 

Long can be heard yelling for help and while officers search him, an officer commands the K9 to bite him.  

Daniels told News 19 that the exchange and this type of law enforcement response did not have to happen. 

“Mr. Long was a bystander and you can call him a concerned citizen or a nosey neighbor,” Daniels explained. “Nevertheless, he wasn’t breaking any laws and he was subjected to profanity unwarranted action by the police who subsequently came up and ripped him off his porch and had a dog bite him, which he did suffer significant injury.”  

According to court records, Long was charged with obstruction and resisting arrest, but was later acquitted of the obstruction charge. 

“We believe that the charge is frivolous, unwarranted and unjustified but nevertheless he is still being prosecuted as such,” said Daniels. 

A pretrial hearing was held on Wednesday for resisting arrest charge while Long’s trial is set for June 6th. 

News 19 reached out to SPD about this case, but officials did not respond to the request for comment.