Florence PD releases full body camera footage in Use of Force, K-9 incident in Florence, AL

On April 22, 2026, the Lauderdale County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant in the 200 block of N. Locust Street in Florence, Alabama. They were assisted by the Florence-Lauderdale SWAT team and the Florence Police Department K-9 Unit. During the execution of the search warrant, David Culliver, arrived on scene. Culliver was not involved in the investigation and inserted himself into the situation. He became belligerent, yelled at officers, and stepped into an active roadway with flowing traffic. An officer advised Culliver several times to get out of the roadway so he wouldn’t get hit by a vehicle. Culliver re-entered the roadway and continued disrupting traffic. Officers then told Culliver he was being placed under arrest. As officers attempted to place him in handcuffs, Culliver pulled away and resisted multiple officers as they tried to place him under arrest. A Florence Police K-9 was deployed to assist in taking Culliver into custody. During the apprehension, Culliver grabbed one of the K-9’s legs and bit the K-9. Officers struck Culliver to get him to release the Florence Police K-9. Culliver was taken to the ground and placed into handcuffs. Culliver was transported to the North Alabama Medical Center where he was treated for the K-9 puncture wounds. After receiving treatment, he was transported and booked into the Lauderdale County Detention Center. David Culliver, 46, of Sheffield, Alabama is being charged for Resisting Arrest, Disorderly Conduct, Public Intoxication, and Interfering with a police dog. At the time of this release, he is confined at the Lauderdale County Detention Center with a $2,500 bond. David Culliver is innocent until proven guilty. We are releasing the full body camera footage related to this incident to our YouTube Channel to provide additional context and transparency. This footage captures the entirety of the encounter, as opposed to the brief clip currently circulating on social media. Shortened videos shared online often present only a limited perspective and may not fully show the sequence of events. Viewing the complete footage is essential to understanding the full context of the situation and ensuring an accurate representation of what occurred. The incident has been thoroughly reviewed, and the use of force applied has been determined to be justified. Timeline of Events: 6:32PM – David Culliver arrives near the scene and officers tell him to pull his car up. He leaves the scene in his vehicle. 6:34PM – Culliver comes back on foot, disrupts traffic flow, and walks off. 6:37PM – Culliver returns to the scene in his vehicle. He continues to disrupt traffic flow and confronts officers. 7:02PM – Police approach Culliver to take him into custody. 7:03PM – Culliver grabs and bites the police K-9 7:06PM – Culliver was placed in handcuffs and taken to the patrol vehicle.

The statement says full body camera footage has been released on the department’s YouTube channel and that the footage captures the entirety of the encounter.