SUNRISE, Fla. – Police officers said they had to use a K-9 officer to bring a suspect into custody, but witnesses who recorded the arrest on video said that’s when things appeared to get out of control.

Cellphone video captured by an eye witness shows a Sunrise police K-9 biting and taking a screaming suspect to the ground on Northwest 58th Terrace.

Residents watched from their balconies as the dog bit down on Louis L. Roper, 23, while officers shouted out commands for him to “turn over” and “stop resisting.”

“Police saying, ‘Get on the ground, get on the ground,’ and the young man screaming, like, in agonizing pain,” one witness told WPLG.

Witnesses shouted for the officer to release his K-9. The biting continued for more than a minute and 15 seconds.

“There was the officer who had him on the ground with the knee in his back and the dog had his leg, like, his thigh area with a grip,” the witness said.

Ultimately, the officer had to cut the dog free from Roper’s pant leg.

“The guy that was with the dog tried to get the dog off, but the dog wasn’t letting up,” the witness said.

Sunrise police say Roper was speeding and driving recklessly as officers pursued him. Ultimately Roper ran a stop sign bailed out of his vehicle and took off on foot, according to police.

Cops say that after several warnings, the K-9 was released. Some witnesses tell WPLG that the officer appeared to have lost control of his K-9 partner.

“I don’t want to say excessive. I just think more could’ve been done to get the dog to loosen,” the witness said.

Police said Roper was arrested after officers found a substance believed to be marijuana in one of his pockets.

Sunrise police issued a statement, which read, in part: “We have not received a complaint or observed any actions that would require investigation of excessive force at this time.”

Roper remains in the Broward County Jail facing charges that include battery on an officer and an EMT with violence to reckless driving.