A once-TikTok famous K9 cop in Texas was found not guilty last week of unnecessary use of force after his dog was accused of biting a fleeing suspect in the leg, according to local reports. Wood County Constable Kelly Smith was also acquitted of a separate charge of falsifying a police report, both of which stemmed from the July 2022 incident. The jury deliberated on the case for just two-and-a-half hours Friday after closing arguments concluded. Kelly, a 25-year police veteran, garnered nearly 100,000 followers on his TikTok before deleting his account, which he used to share videos of his K9 partner, Mata, as well as rants critical of President Joe Biden, among other things.
