Texas K-9 cop famous on TikTok now accused of police brutality
A police officer walks his K-9 unit on the street. The dog is similar to the K-9 used in alleged excessive force by a Texas constable.
Boston Globe/Boston Globe via Getty Images
A Wood County constable and his K-9 dog that are famous on TikTok for demonstrating drug finds and openly spouting MAGA views is now facing federal charges of excessive force. Constable Kelly Smith has been charged with deprivation of rights under color of law because “he directed his police dog to bite a suspect who did not pose a threat,” according to the Department of Justice.
The news release says that the victims actions did not warrant the use of a police dog and was injured as a result of the bite. Smith has held a Peace Officer’s License and certification continuously since 1997 and his Master Peace Officer’s License since 2006, according to his old campaign website. He is also a K-9 instructor.
Smith grew popular on TikTok but his account has since been deleted or hidden. The Daily Beast reports that Smith had over 94,000 followers on TikTok and showing his K-9 Mata doing drug sniffing exercises. He would also post TikToks with “Let’s Go Brandon” in the caption or in videos, a chant meant critical of President Joe Biden.
In one video, he shows his K-9 Mata biting and running down a man wearing an armored suit while saying “Oh no Brandon!”
Smith was also once featured on the cover of K-9 Cop Magazine in 2020. An attorney for Smith told the Daily Beast that his client did nothing wrong. If found guilty, Smith faces up to 10 years in prison.
