Body-cam shows Maricopa police officers and K-9 taking violent suspect into custody

MARICOPA, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - Two officers in Maricopa and a police K-9 are getting praise from the city’s police chief for the way they took a violent suspect into custody.

Video obtained by Arizona’s Family shows the officers were able to subdue the suspect last month with teamwork and a well-timed assist from the police dog, even after one officer’s taser failed. “It’s just a great example of how a simple traffic stop can suddenly turn and become a dangerous encounter very quickly,” said Maricopa Police Chief Mark Goodman. “I thought our officers did an amazing job.”

The incident started with a routine traffic stop near John Wayne Parkway and Cobblestone Farms Drive around 1:30 am on July 16, according to police records. An officer identified in records as “Officer Burns” pulled over a vehicle for a suspected suspended registration. He grew suspicious when the front passenger could not provide identification, and his stated name did not match the police record system, according to the chief and the footage.

“And so he digs a little deeper. Sure enough, he figures out the front passenger is not the person who he claims to be, and he has some warrants for his arrest,” the chief said.

When Officer Burns tried to handcuff the man, he punched the officer in the face, setting off a melee. Court records identified the suspect as 20-year-old Stanley Ulate. Officer Burns tried to use his taser, but it failed. The video shows a second officer arriving, and the two continue to struggle with Ulate.

But by a stroke of luck, the second officer happened to be the department’s lone K-9 handler. The struggle ended when K-9 officer Karma lunged at the suspect. “The officers in this particular incident did a great job using the tools available to them, trying to de-escalate the situation. Trying to take a violent suspect into custody with the minimum force necessary,” Chief Goodman said.

Ulate is facing multiple felonies, including aggravated assault on an officer.

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