WILKES-BARRE -- A man from Berwick is filing a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Wilkes-Barre and the Wilkes-Barre City Police Department.
The suit alleges police used excessive force while arresting Joshua Fought in July, specifically a police dog.
Video shot by Rolando Serra showed Fought handcuffed on the ground on Public Square. Viewers can see a Wilkes-Barre Police K-9 jumping up and down as Fought’s leg pops up.
Months later, his lawyers shared pictures of Fought’s injuries with Newswatch 16 to show what they look like now. We blurred them some because they were so graphic.
Fought’s attorney, Kevin Mincey spoke to Newswatch 16 from Philadelphia over the phone.
“Right now he’s dealing with the fact that he’s permanently disfigured,” Mincey said of his client. “When you put your shirt on, you're taking a shower, and you can feel and see the aftereffects of this dog just chewing on his back,” Mincey said.
Court records show Fought had a lengthy criminal record.
In this case, Fought was charged with public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. A judge dismissed all of those charges on Thursday.
“He's looking for justice. He was essentially wrongfully accused, forced to go through the criminal justice system and he had to suffer the horrific injuries,” Mincey said.
Both the dog and K-9 officer are still on active duty.
We reached out to the city for a comment on this story, they said they cannot discuss pending litigation.