Terrell Bradley, the Gainesville man who was mauled by a police K-9 dog in July 2022 while fleeing a traffic stop, was sentenced to a year in prison Tuesday morning after withdrawing his not guilty plea.
Bradley pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and no contest to battery on an officer and resisting an officer.
A no contest plea allows a person to accept a criminal punishment but not admit guilt. It also means there is nothing to use against him or her in a civil case.
“This was the best way to do this,” said Curtis Lee, Bradley’s attorney, after Bradley was taken out of the courtroom by a deputy. “But who knows? This is only part one.”
Lee is referring to a letter written by Bradley’s other attorney, Gregory Durden, to the City of Gainesville in February, asking the city to engage in settlement talks to avoid a lawsuit and citing his medical bills from the incident were more than $250,000.
It is unclear whether the city responded, and Durden could not be reached for comment.
“It could have been handled a lot differently,” Lee said, commenting on the potential settlement. “But I’m a little bit limited on what I can say.”
After Lee read Bradley the rights he would give up if he decided to go to trial – forcing the state to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, questioning the state’s witnesses, calling his own witnesses, remaining silent and appealing case matters – Judge David Kreider asked him a question:
“Is this how you want to resolve your case, sir?” Kreider asked.
“Yes, sir,” Bradley responded.
The judge continued: “Alright Mr. Bradley, as for count one of constructive possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and count three – battery on a law enforcement officer – on both of those I’m going to adjudicate you guilty. On both of those, I am going to sentence you to a year and a week at the Department of Corrections.”
Bradley was arrested on July 10, 2022 after he was pulled over for allegedly running a stop sign. Bradley stepped out of his vehicle then started to run, later taking cover in a bush. After finding a stolen gun in Bradley’s car and a 12-year-old felony conviction on his record, police brought in a police dog to track him.
An hour later, police K-9, Ranger, sniffed out Bradley, removed his right eye and left him with other life-altering injuries.
K-9 Ranger is no longer with the Gainesville Police Department or working as a police dog, according to Gainesville’s Public Information Officer Jennifer Smart.
GPD has put two K-9 teams back on duty since the Gainesville city manager suspended the units, and they have been used 15 times since, she said in an email. Two other K-9s are being trained and are not working yet.