Spokane to pay $200,000 to settle lawsuit from man allegedly mauled by K9

The Spokane City Council on Monday unanimously approved a $200,000 settlement with a man who claims he suffered injuries from a K-9 used by Spokane police in 2022 while he was incapacitated after threatening suicide.

The city spent as much as $175,000 on legal defense to fight the lawsuit brought by Andrei Johnson. Johnson claims he had held a shard of glass to his own neck and was hit with stun guns and foam rounds after a failed de-escalation attempt by Spokane police.

Johnson alleges that Officer Todd Belitz deployed a K-9 while Johnson was prone and incapacitated, and that the dog caused "catastrophic injuries to his face and head" while officers stood and watched.

Johnson filed suit in 2025, naming the city police department, Belitz, then-Chief Craig Meidl and Sgt. Nate Spiering as defendants. The lawsuit was scheduled for a trial on Feb. 8.

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 7:14 PM.