A San Diego police officer is accused of commanding his police dog to "eat up" a defenseless man like a "runaway slave," according to a lawsuit filed in federal court on January 22.

In his complaint, a homeless man, Steven McQuery, claims he had surrendered to police during an April 23, 2015, incident. At the time, McQuery, who's offense was not stated, lay face down on the concrete when San Diego police officer J. Weise ordered his police dog to sit on top of McQuery.

That's when McQuery allegedly heard Weise give a strange command.

"About [15] seconds later Officer Weise started yelling, 'eat him up', over and over…. Mr. McQuery was like a runaway slave," read the lawsuit.

"I was on my stomach, hands visible, arms outstretched in a surrender position."

McQuery says the attack lasted approximately 20 seconds.

"I was no threat to Officer Weise. At the time I had surrendered, I was in full compliance with all of his commands."

McQuery charges Weise and the City of San Diego with using unreasonable force and guilty of a "racist act" under the color of law.

The mistreatment continued, claims McQuery. The officer refused to loosen the handcuffs and was denied medical help. A week later an officer from the department’s internal-affairs division met with McQuery but later told him he "couldn't pick up the case."

The lawsuit is one of several excessive-force claims filed against San Diego police officers in recent months.

As reported by the *Reader,* the city is currently representing police officer Laura Smith in two excessive-force lawsuits during a span of three years.

Last week, San Diego's district attorney's office was informed that agents from the FBI and U.S. attorneys would be briefed on police shootings, excessive-force cases, sexual assaults, and false arrests in San Diego, according to a report by the San Diego Union Tribune.