A Virginia police chief issued an apology for the “unreasonable” force his officers used when they released a police dog to attack a female Norfolk State University student.
According to WVEC, Chief Michael Goldsmith met with reporters Thursday for the first time since the Sunday morning arrest of London Colvin, who suffered multiple wounds after she was bitten by a police K9.
Private Colvin, 21, was at a party off-campus when a fight broke out. She and her friends left the party and were not involved in the fight, so when an officer approached them, Colvin refused to speak to him.
Colvin’s cousin, Whitney Dunn talked to Potomac Local, saying, “[Colvin] and her friends continued to walk, and she said that she definitely continued to be loud, however they were walking away. The two other police officers approached her, asked her to stop. Whatever the case may be, they had her down on the ground when the dog came. Two of the police officers restrained her on the ground, and then they allowed the dogs to attack her.”
Norfolk police spokesman Daniel Hudson believes the use of force was justified. “There was an officer that was attempting to place the woman in custody for disorderly conduct,” he said. “When [the officer] tried to place her in custody, she became combative against the officer. Another officer attempted to restrain her, but again, there were multiple people around, so the canine officer deployed the dog to restrain the woman so nobody would get hurt.”
However, Norfolk Police Chief Michael Goldsmith has since come out to offer an apology:
While we continue to wrap up the final few interviews with witnesses and officers, I feel I have enough information to determine the use of force in Ms. Colvin’s arrest was unreasonable. As Chief, I am responsible for the policies and procedures that govern my officers’ actions. While I expect my officers to make the best judgment in all circumstances, if the policy doesn’t support the outcomes I expect, I have failed them.
Colvin’s family has said that they did not have a problem with the arrest, as Colvin was being loud and disorderly. But they do have a problem with the excessive force, which resulted in 40 stitches from the dog bites and left one chunk of Colvin’s leg missing so much flesh that she will require plastic surgery.
Richard James, a member of the Norfolk NAACP, met with Goldsmith Thursday afternoon and will be advising Colvin, while her family seeks legal council.