By Police1 Staff

ST. HELENS, Ore. — Recently released body cam footage shows Oregon deputies directing a K-9 to take down a combative inmate in August.

KATU reports that Columbia County deputies were called about an inmate, 47-year-old Chris Bartlett, who refused to cooperate as other deputies attempted to move him into a new cell. When the officers opened the door to Bartlett’s old cell, the suspect “threw the tote at the opening door, which was in line with my head. The tote is approximately three pounds and it is a hard plastic material,” the K-9 handler wrote in his police report.

The K-9 took down Bartlett and bit him on his right arm. The deputies were able to handcuff the inmate and brought him to medical staff to check for injuries, which were minor and didn’t require treatment.

The way the deputies handled the inmate drew criticism from the suspect’s sister, who identified herself as Shawna. She said Bartlett is “mentally unstable” and that he was treated wrongly by the LEOs.

Columbia County Sheriff Jeff Dickerson defended the deputies’ actions and said using a K-9 was the best solution to apprehend the suspect. He said the dog was able to quickly defuse the situation and leave the suspect with minimal injuries.

Bartlett has been at the jail since the incident. Shawna said she has been in contact with a lawyer and will seek legal action on behalf of her brother.