An officer with the Atlantic City (NJ) Police Department has been arrested in connection with a June 2013 arrest that left a Linwood man with 200 stitches from wounds suffered from his K-9 partner.
During the incident, David Castellani—at the time 20 years old—had reportedly been leaving the Tropicana casino and was approaching a group of officers, according to NJ.com.
After a confrontation, officers subdued Castellani and "had one hand in handcuffs" according to reports.
It was at this time that Sterling Wheaten and his K-9 partner arrived. Wheaten released the dog, and the animal proceeded to "maul" the back of Castellani's head.
In 2017, a civil jury awarded Castellani $3 million in damages.
Lou Barbone—Wheaten's attorney—told Breaking AC, "Sterling's done nothing but serve his community for the past 10 years."
