A Frankfort police K-9 officer has been criminally charged after a viral video appeared to show him handling a dog in a harsh and inappropriate manner.

Ethan M. Cunningham, 24, of Lebanon, was charged Thursday in Boone County court with felony official misconduct and misdemeanor animal mistreatment. Sgt. Cunningham is a K-9 officer with the Frankfort Police Department.

The charges against Cunningham stem from a video posted online in March that appeared to show the officer lifting his K-9 partner by the neck, forcefully pushing him into a fence and dropping the dog onto the ground. The video later amassed tens of thousands of views on social media.

Court documents detail how an investigation by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office concluded that Cunningham was criminally responsible for the alleged mistreatment. Cunningham has reportedly maintained his innocence, claiming that the incident was part of standard bite dog training.

Lebanon police were first called around 6 p.m. on March 21 to a local home to take an animal mistreatment complaint from a caller. Investigators were given a video that appeared to show Cunningham conducting “backyard training” with his K-9 partner named Taz.

While Lebanon police said the video appeared to show Cunningham “lifting the dog to approximately shoulder height and dropping it,” the woman who filmed the video said he handled the dog roughly against the fence before throwing him down.

Cunningham was interviewed by police and reportedly said his dog had become aggressive during training, which he called a “no-no.” He claimed that Frankfort PD has “zero tolerance” for dogs that may bite, so he attempted an “alpha roll” to try and control the dog.

Investigators later spoke with a K-9 trainer for Frankfort and Lebanon PD, who said he had been hired to work with Cunningham after a previous incident where a dog became aggressive. He said he and Cunningham had been working to train his new partner, Taz.

The trainer said Taz had never displayed aggression toward Cunningham and that the dog was “friendly and clear-minded.” When shown the video of Cunningham handling Taz, the trainer reportedly said that an “alpha roll” does not involve lifting or throwing a K-9 and that if he had witnessed similar actions during a training session, he would have stepped in.

Cunningham also claimed that Taz was completely uninjured from the incident. However, after being taken to Purdue University for an examination, it was found that the dog had suffered rib and spinal injuries that caused a painful response when pressure was applied.

Lebanon police asked the Boone County Sheriff’s Office to take over the investigation due to potential conflicts of interest. After reviewing all evidence, it was determined that Cunningham “knowingly or intentionally mistreated and injured” Taz and committed official misconduct.

Official charges were filed on Thursday, June 12, in Boone Superior Court 2, and a warrant was issued for his arrest on a $500 bond. Cunningham turned himself in without incident Friday morning at the Boone County Jail.

Frankfort Police Chief Scott Shoemaker said in a statement Friday morning that Cunningham is now the subject of an “internal investigation” by FPD. That internal investigation was reportedly paused during his criminal investigation.

Shoemaker said that the Board of Public Works and Safety will now hold a special meeting on June 17 to discuss the matter. While Cunningham is still employed by FPD and on paid leave, the board can move him to unpaid leave now that charges have been filed.

PETA also responded with a statement following the viral video and resulting charges.

“PETA is thankful to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office for pursuing some measure of justice for Taz, who deserves retirement to a safe, caring home. The Frankfort Police Department should use this moment to reassess its use of dogs in high-risk police work and consider alternatives such as advanced technology, which cannot be harmed in the line of duty.”