A decorated Dallas Police K-9 officer faces a felony aggravated assault charge after investigators say he intentionally used his patrol vehicle to hit a fleeing suspect during a predawn pursuit in east Oak Cliff. According to records reviewed by The Dallas Morning News, Senior Cpl. Scott Jay, a 28-year veteran assigned to the Canine Unit, was placed on administrative leave while the departments Public Integrity Unit examines whether his use of force violated policy. Jay turned himself in at the Dallas County jail on July 30 and was released after posting bond. The incident traces to about 3:30 a.m. on March 27 in the 4100 block of Sunnyvale Street. Police were responding to a reported aggravated robbery in which a motorist working on a stalled vehicle said a man approached, grabbed a lunch bag from the center console, andafter an altercationproduced a pocketknife and threatened to kill the driver. Officers arriving on scene saw the man holding the knife and the bag; he raised his hands, dropped the knife when commanded, and then ran. As the foot pursuit unfolded, Jay approached in a patrol car, issued verbal commands, and warned he would release his canine if the suspect did not stop, according to the report. Internal documents cited in the report note that, during the chase, Jay asked another officer whether a felony had been committed and was told no. A separate officer on scene had a 40-mm less-lethal launcher and a Taser. While in the vehicle, Jay twice fired his Taser at the suspect, but the man kept running. The report states Jay accelerated toward the suspect, nearly pinning him between a parked vehicle and later striking himdetails that underpin the subsequent arrest warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The suspect reported pain and minor injury, was treated at Methodist Charlton Medical Center, and released. Jays attorney, Robert Rogers, called the charge shocking and argued his client used the vehicle only to bump the suspect off balance, contending the maneuver aligned with policy and prevented a potential escalation to deadly force. The case has not yet gone to a grand jury, according to the Dallas County district attorneys office, which declined comment while the matter is pending. The Dallas Police Department also declined to discuss specifics given the ongoing review. Jays service record is central to the developing debate. He joined the department in 1997, has received dozens of commendations, and earned the departments medal of valor after a 2023 gunfight in Pleasant Grove in which he and his dog, Figor, were wounded. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott later presented Jay and Figor with the Star of Texas Award. Supporters say that experience informs his judgment under stress; investigators, meanwhile, are parsing redacted reports and radio traffic to reconstruct the pursuit and assess whether vehicle contact met policy thresholds. For agencies and trainers, the case surfaces key operational questions: when (if ever) vehicle-assisted contact is justified during a foot pursuit; how and when to transition from verbal warnings and less-lethal tools to alternative tactics; and what supervisory guardrails should govern high-tempo chases through residential blocks. The presence of multiple toolsK-9, 40-mm launcher, Tasercomplicates sequencing and may drive policy clarifications on roles, responsibilities, and escalation ladders during mixed-modal pursuits.