A Pompano Beach family is asking for answers after a Broward Sheriff’s Office K-9 bit a 36-year-old man during an arrest, with video of the encounter spreading widely online.
The man, Fricost Jerome, was being taken into custody near Northwest Third Avenue and Northwest 12th Court when the K-9 was used. Video recorded by a bystander appears to show the dog biting Jerome’s ankle while its handler held the animal as deputies worked to arrest him.
Jerome’s relatives say they have been unable to see him since the incident and remain concerned about his condition.
His aunt, Sheila Burke, said the footage was difficult for the family to watch. She also questioned whether deputies were aware of Jerome’s mental-health history and whether additional considerations should have been made during the arrest.
The circumstances leading to the arrest began with a report at the Atlantic Palms Apartments. According to the Sheriff’s Office, an employee reported that a toolbox had been taken from a maintenance shed. The employee also told investigators that Jerome threatened her with a box cutter when she confronted him.
Deputies, a K-9 team and aviation units later responded to a report of an armed robbery in progress, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Jerome now faces charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and resisting an officer. The charges are allegations, and the case remains subject to the legal process.
The use of the K-9 has become a central concern for Jerome’s relatives after the video circulated. His family went to the Broward Sheriff’s Office headquarters looking for information about his location and medical condition, but relatives said they did not receive the answers they were seeking.
The Sheriff’s Office said that when K-9s are used to apprehend suspects, those suspects receive medical treatment. The agency also said the use of force is reported to supervisors and documented for an administrative review.
That review will determine how the use of force is handled within the agency’s administrative process. At this point, the available public information does not establish a final finding regarding whether the K-9 deployment violated department policy.
For Jerome’s family, however, questions remain about what happened during the arrest and his condition afterward.
Burke said the family wants Jerome to know that his relatives are standing behind him and intend to continue seeking information about the incident.
