A Mexican tourist is suing police in Colorado after officers allegedly botched their Spanish commands during a SWAT raid, repeatedly shouting a phrase that translated to “Fart police, fart the wood” before a police dog attacked him.
Salvador Alonso Guerrero-Salmeron was staying in a rented room in Aurora on March 3, 2023, when a SWAT team surrounded the property to arrest another man who lived there.
According to The Denver Post, officers used a loudspeaker to order everyone outside in English and Spanish, but their attempts to warn residents about a police dog were largely incomprehensible.
“Pedo policía pedo la madera,” officers repeatedly announced, which a translator later determined meant “Fart police, fart the wood.”
One officer even chimed in with, “You just ordered the taco plate.”
Unfortunately for Guerrero-Salmeron, the bizarre instructions were followed by a much more serious encounter with police.
Mexican tourist claims police dog attacked him despite posing no threat
Guerrero-Salmeron, a professional musician visiting the United States on a tourist visa, said he initially believed criminals were breaking into the property.
“It’s very ugly here, I don’t know what is happening,” he texted his landlord, urging her to call the police.
PixabayAfter arresting the man they were actually looking for, officers returned to Guerrero-Salmeron’s bedroom and broke down the door.
According to the lawsuit, he was unarmed and holding his identification and tourist visa when officers began shouting commands in English.
A police dog named Loki was then ordered to attack, biting his arm for approximately 15 seconds.
Guerrero-Salmeron was subsequently arrested for failing to obey a police order, with one officer allegedly telling him, “Don’t speak Spanish. Speak English. I speak English.”
The charge was later dropped.
His attorneys argue the attack was unjustified and that the injuries have affected his ability to perform music.
“The police cannot order a K-9 to attack someone unless that person presents a threat sufficient to justify that heightened level of force, and in this case our client presented no threat whatsoever,” attorney Luke McConnell said.
However, the officers maintain that their actions were reasonable, arguing that Guerrero-Salmeron had failed to follow commands for more than an hour and could have posed a threat. A judge determined that a jury should decide whether the force used was justified.
The lawsuit, which includes excessive force and malicious prosecution claims, was scheduled to go to trial on October 19.
PixabayThe incident follows other unusual disputes involving police, including an Arizona man seeking $176 million after being paralyzed during a swatting he had warned authorities about.
More recently, Canadian police warned a streamer he could face $500 charges for every fire truck responding to repeated swattings, despite acknowledging he was the victim.
Meanwhile, police have been involved in some genuinely bizarre incidents this year, from an AI-generated report claiming an officer transformed into a frog to a detective allegedly pointing a gun at a colleague for microwaving fish.
And while the Spanish translation might be one of the strangest fart-related headlines of 2026, it comes just days after a bus driver lost her job following complaints about a rancid smell that left a colleague needing to shower.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
