Des Moines police K-9 bite becomes subject of federal excessive-force lawsuit
A September 2026 federal lawsuit alleges K-9 Draco held Eric Kelley’s leg for about 37 seconds during an October 2024 Des Moines arrest, causing a wound that required six staples; the city police review found the force consistent with policy.
Incident summary
Eric Lee Kelley alleges that Des Moines police K-9 Draco bit and held his right leg during an October 9, 2024 arrest near McKinley Avenue. A federal complaint filed September 2, 2026 alleges the bite lasted about 37 seconds and tore a gash that required six surgical staples. Police reports cited by Iowa Capital Dispatch say Kelley had attempted to flee and a physical struggle occurred. The Des Moines Police Department later reviewed the force and found it consistent with department policy and training. The excessive-force allegations have not been adjudicated.
Kelley filed a federal civil-rights complaint September 2, 2026 against the City of Des Moines and four officers. The case is Kelley v. Tiller et al., No. 4:2026-cv-00366, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. The lawsuit seeks damages and alleges excessive force. Iowa Capital Dispatch reported that the city had not yet filed a response and that Des Moines police previously reviewed the force and found it consistent with policy and training. BiteDB presents the disputed details as allegations, not findings of liability or misconduct.
Video, reporting and source material
BiteDB embeds media only when a source-hosted player is suitable for embedding. News photographs and footage remain with their publishers unless reuse rights are clear.
Primary record used by BiteDB
Iowa Capital Dispatch reviewed the federal civil-rights complaint, police reports and body-camera material filed in connection with Kelley v. Tiller et al. The complaint alleges Kelley was prone and no longer resisting before K-9 Draco began biting his leg, that the dog maintained the bite for about 37 seconds, and that the wound required six surgical staples. The article also reports that Des Moines police reviewed the force and found it consistent with policy and training.
Open original source ↗What BiteDB does not infer
Breed is recorded only at the provenance level shown above. Missing injury details, dog history, ownership facts or circumstances remain unknown unless a reliable source establishes them. This record may be updated as police, animal-control, medical, court or follow-up reporting becomes available.