Alaska State Troopers release dog and brutally beat man during arrest – but they had the wrong man in their sights

Two Alaska State Police officers have been charged with assault after they beat, tranquilize and use a police dog on an innocent man during a case of mistaken identity.

Sergeant Joseph Miller, 49, and dog handler Jason Woodruff, 42, were charged with fourth-degree assault after inflicting serious injuries on 37-year-old Ben Tikka.

The charging documents state that the officers were looking for Garrett Tikka, who was wanted for failing to serve a 10-day jail sentence for driving without a license.

On May 24, the two defendants believed they had gotten their hands on Garrett after spotting a parked SUV in the community of Soldotna on the Kenai Peninsula southwest of Anchorage.

But it was not Garrett, but his cousin Ben who was in the vehicle.

As they approached the vehicle, the two men saw Ben in the back seat and ordered him out of the car, arguing that there was a warrant out for his arrest.

When he didn't respond, Miller told Ben that he would spray the inside of the truck with pepper spray if he refused to get out.

“Tikka – either you come out or we're going to break your window and send the dog in to bite you,” Miller told the innocent man, according to court documents.

When Ben continued to refuse to get out and repeatedly told police that there was no warrant for his arrest, Miller allegedly smashed a rear window of the car while Woodruff threatened to set a police dog on the car.

The filing states that Miller then sprayed a can of pepper spray into the vehicle, causing Ben to scream and eventually open the car door.

When the victim fell to the ground, Miller allegedly kicked him in the shin and punched him in the back of the head or neck.

Court documents show that Miller then used a stun gun and stepped on Ben's head, forcing him into the ground and leaving shards of window glass.

The filing states that Miller then sprayed a can of pepper spray into the vehicle, causing Ben to scream and eventually open the car door.

The body camera footage shows Ben lying on the ground next to the black truck with blood on his forehead and the dog jumping on him.

While he was screaming, “What are you doing?” Miller hit him in the back and the dog bit him in the stomach.

The body camera footage shows Ben lying on the ground next to the black truck with blood on his forehead and the dog jumping on him.

“My hands are behind my back, sir, please stop. Please stop guys, I'm not a criminal,” Ben reportedly told police as the dog lunged at him.

But despite all objections, the lawsuit says, Woodruff continued to give the order to bite, which caused Ben's face and head to bleed profusely.

Court documents show that the defendants never asked for Ben's full name, but simply addressed him as “Tikka” during the encounter.

James Cockrell, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Public Safety, confirmed in a recent press conference that both officers had been placed on administrative leave and that he was the one who referred their cases for criminal investigation.

As a result of the incident, Ben suffered an open bite on his left arm as well as numerous broken bones and cuts on his triceps and head.

James Cockrell, head of the Alaska Department of Public Safety, confirmed in a recent press conference that both officers had been placed on leave and that he would be the one who would forward their cases for criminal investigation.

“What I saw completely disgusted me. I have been with this department for 33 years and have never seen anything like this before.

“It's hard for me to put into words the impact it has had on me and other soldiers who wear this uniform,” he said.

Woodruff and Miller are scheduled to go on trial in Kenai on September 10.