All charges dropped against Prince George’s Co. K9 officer accused of animal cruelty

UPPER MARLBORO, Maryland (7News) – 7News has learned that all charges have been dropped against a Prince George’s County Police K-9 officer who had been accused of animal cruelty in August.

Corporal David Acosta was accused of inflicting injuries on his police-assigned bloodhound, “Daisy.” The allegation was that the dog had open wounds from prolonged use of an electric shock collar.

RELATED |Prince George’s County officer charged with animal cruelty after mistreating K-9: police

Now, Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy has decided that the case cannot be brought due to multiple issues within the PGPD K-9 division, specifically regarding the use of shock collars. The state’s attorney called the police department’s policies “dangerous and flawed.” You can read that statement below:

“After a thorough review of this case, we determined that the Prince George’s County Police Department’s policies and protocols on the proper use of the e-collar are vague, inconsistent, dangerous, and flawed. As such, we have concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the animal cruelty and related charges against David Acosta. Specifically, there is no indication of intentional negligence regarding Mr. Acosta’s actions.

However, through our investigation, we have learned that this is not an isolated incident. Reports from other department officers indicated that their canines also suffered similar injuries and injuries due to the department-issued e-collar. Simply put, the collar is problematic.

It is also worth noting that the department’s canine program is not currently certified, which is necessary to ensure it follows proper rules and standards in handling canines.

As written, the policy states that officers must wear the collar on dogs while working and must also wear it to maintain control of the animals when off duty. Such excessive use creates abuse scenarios and puts animals in danger.

Whether it is a human or an animal, our office is committed to seeking justice on behalf of the community. Animals are part of a vulnerable population and as such must be cared for. To that end, we have led proactive conversations with the department and recommend that they pursue certification, improve their protocols and policies around e-collaring and handling canines to ensure their safety and well-being.”

7News Maryland Bureau Chief Brad Bell is working on this story and will have more updates throughout the day. Reached by phone Friday, Acosta declined to comment.