They do a dirty job, putting themselves in harm's way to protect their human partners.
They are trained to search out suspects, drugs and a number of other tasks.
But they are dogs.
If you resist, they will bite.
If you attack them, they will bite.
If you hide under a blanket, after officers have given you the option of exiting a house that is about to be searched, chances are, they will bite.
Basically, if police have to use the dog, a bite is probably a foregone conclusion.
A local mom has taken the first step towards filing suit against the BPD, after a K-9 bit her teenage son during the search of her home on the night of December 17th.
Police were at the home looking for suspects in an armed robbery at a Fastrip, where the suspects brandished a knife, all to steal some beer.
Witnesses traced the men to the woman's house on Gary Place.
Police ordered everyone out, key word in this sentence "everyone".
The woman and two sons exited the house, as another person ran out the back into the arms of waiting officers.
After awhile, another teenage son came outside.
The mom, through her attorney, said she told officers her 15-yr old son was inside sleeping.
Apparently he didn't hear the commotion outside.
The police department's press release said before the K-9 entered the home, they confirmed with the mom that everyone was accounted for.
The teen supposedly didn't hear the K-9 and his handler entering the home to do a sweep, announcing their presence before they entered, after they entered and during the entire sweep.
The dog reportedly lunged at the covers on a bed inside a room that hadn't been searched and ended up biting the teenager.
The teen suffered a laceration across his forehead, puncture below his right eyebrow and a cut above his ear.
The mother's attorney said the woman believes if her son's robbed the store they should pay, but if the police committed a crime, they should pay.
What crime?
And who's really at fault?
If your son really is sleeping inside the house, with police swarming all over the place and a K-9 unit preparing to go in, wouldn't you tell police EXACTLY where he was in the house.
A couple of your sons (according to the release) were just involved in the ARMED robbery of a store with a weapon.
Police say the teenager who was bit, was not involved with the robbery.
Is someone at fault?
Yes, I'd begin with the mother.
44 comments:
I agree with you totally Mike
Not sure I totally agree with you on this one. And I only say such because sometimes the police report their events as if everything just occurred in an orderly non-chaotic fashion.
I mean, I'm guessing this wasn't a quiet tea party, and, some houses are in areas filled with noises: shouting, speeding cars, fighting, sirens blasting past at all hours...
So maybe the kid really was a heavy sleeper.
I know some kids can sleep through atomic blasts.
Maybe he was sick and on nyquil, maybe the kid was hard of hearing.
Whatever the reason, I don't think he deserved to have been bitten on the face by a K-9.
This is Bakersfield, where the local police was once represented by a hockey team called Excessive Force in the local leagues. It's a fun roller hockey joke, but in real life, too much force can leave people unnecessarily scarred.
Maybe the kid didn't hear anything and really was asleep. Either way, I just saw those pictures and I don't think he deserved to be bitten in the face by a K-9, especially for not doing anything wrong.. I don't really think it was the mother's fault either, I'm not sure what time it happened but if it was late at night I don't think the first thing you think if the police come knocking is "let me go wake everyone up," maybe she just didn't think to mention he was there or didn't think of it at all. I don't know...
"If you resist, they will bite," yeah, but how would you feel if some crazy dog busted through your door and ran at you? I'd be hiding under my blanket, too!
this is an unfortunate mistake..on the part of The Police who released the dog after being told someone was sleeping, a kid no less.The kid quite possibly did not hear the commotion. It is unfortunate,The dog is not to blame though he was just doing his job.
I was inadvertently bitten by a German Shepherd that was lunging for a perp. I was standing in the wrong place and the wrong time. The dog only laid one bite on me, and it let go nearly as fast.
That one single bite, which I have to admit was so quick and for the first instant, seemingly light, lacerated my hand like a knife.
That gigantic gash on the kids forehead, reminds me of it. K9 dogs are insanely good at what they do, but they are dogs and they have to be controlled. This is why we only allow trained officers to be the handlers of K9 dogs, as opposed to just letting Johnny Law keep a pack of mutts on hand for mauling you.
The problem here, is we don't know what really happened. I'm sure a number of things happened that could have led to the severity of that bite, but I'd trust our borderline corrupt police department before I'd trust a mother who wouldn't tell police her son was inside.
I am disturbed by the number of bites the kid has though. That gash I got from one bite was severe, but it was just one bite. This kid obviously had a dog on him for at least 3 bites. This is where I can see a jackass BPD officer letting the dog have a few jollies before pulling Fido off.
The blame can't be determined yet because of all the unanswered questions - however, it looks suspicious on both sides.
I feel it's only fair to admit that if this was a Kern County Sherrif K9 unit, I wouldn't even question the integrity of the officers. That's sad.
The dog is blameless. His handler is not.
The report and your blog suggest an orderly meeitng outside with the mother calmly being asked if everyone was out of the apartment.
In reality it was dark, the police were probably screaming at her. people were running everywhere and sirens and lights were going non-stop.
So this angry cop shines a light in your face and screams "Is everyone out of the house?!" She panics.
I feel for the police, no one wants something like this to happen, but I think it was mishandled. The handler should probably kept his dog on a leash rather than let him into the house unsupervised. Hindsight is 20-20, but I hope they learn from this.
Here's some conversation from the ABC23 Files:
posted by OldBlue56 on Dec 20, 2007 at 11:20 AM : Nick, I just read your comment on Mike Hart's blog. I agree that the kid didn't deserve to get bit. Do you really think the dog handler purposely had his dog bite the kid under the blanket? Get serious. It was an unfortunate incident. And yes, the scenes of some police actions can be chaotic, but when you have a house full of people, including suspects, you stabilize the scene and formulate a plan. It can be very simple, as officers do this all the time. Have officers cover all sides to prevent anyone from escaping, gather the required number of officers to make entry, assign them specific tasks, make an announcement, (as long as it won't put the officers in danger), then make your orderly entry. That is the safest way to do it. And safety is usually a very high priority to the patrol officers.
I agree with Mike Hart that the blame for this lies with the mother and her s**thead sons and friends for bringing the police to their house in the first place. More than likely the 14 year old will follow in his brothers footsteps and join a street gang. But if he does, at least there will be a positive from this incident. When he commits a crime, the witnesses can describe him as the Hispanic male with a large scar across his forehead.
posted by adampayne on Dec 20, 2007 at 11:21 AM
The picture here I'm sure is just one of many. There will be plastic surgery costs as well as pain and suffering. With photos like these the city will be on the hook for some big damages. The handler/officer blew it, imho.
Report Violation
posted by RosemarysAbortionist on Dec 20, 2007 at 11:28 AM
Something isn't quite right about the way we allow dogs to act with a degree of viciousness that we don't permit officers themselves. It's as if police brutality is OK as long as the perpetrator isn't a human being.
Report Violation
posted by ABC23 on Dec 20, 2007 at 11:31 AM
Old Blue, I don't remember saying the dog handler purposely had the dog bite the kid. I am saying that I don't always believe the reports given to the media and that excessive force sometimes happens. In this case, I don't know, maybe all was as the police said. Maybe not. You're right, I think if those guys robbed a store and entered that house then they are to blame too.
I sure would be upset if that were my kid though...
The dog is a tool, a weapon. An officer is not permitted to discharge his weapon in an irresponsible manner, nor is he allowed to use his dog irresponsibly. Allowing the dog to bite (discharge) at an unseen, non-threatening object hidden under covers should land him a suspension, even a dismissal. The dog should receive more training with an officer who uses better judgement. It is very crazy at scenes like this. The mother should have taken more care with her sons (all of them), but ultimately the officer is responsible for his weapon.
Here is my issue with the whole thing. Regardless of who said what and how the events unraveled, you know a child's scream when you hear one. There is no excuse for why the dog wasn't controlled sooner by the officer. Not to mention that the dog's are NOT trained to attack blankets. That alone should have immediately raised the officer’s awareness to that location in the house.
Not only could he be a heavy sleeper, but if she in fact did not tell the officer (as per report by officer) he was in bed it could be possible she didn’t even know he was home. Teenagers are hard to keep track of sometimes. I know when I was that age, I didn’t check in with my parents every time I went outside, or went around the block.
I work with law enforcement and I have never seen a wound that severe from a police dog. Puncture wounds and bruising, maybe some scratches. They are not trained to slaughter suspects or lunge for the face. I feel the largest point is that the officer is the one trained to be in control of the situation which apparently he was not. I would press charges also.
No personal attacks please.
- Nick, ABC23
More posts from the ABC23 Files on Bakersfield.com:
posted by ChicaEsquela on Dec 20, 2007 at 11:35 AM
Regardless of whether the dog handler did it on purpose or not
I smell a law suit a comin"
posted by witterpitters on Dec 20, 2007 at 11:36 AM
It is not a matter of "allowing" the dog to be "vicious" This dog was trained to do a job. The police announced themselves, announced they had a K-9 - the dog was doing his job in reacting to movement that was not anticipated. That is NOT police brutality. Maybe the mom should have given her sons different names - ya think? Two "miguel's" in the same household, the police have a "miguel" in the back yard, the other Miguel does not announce himself nor does the mom indicate there are two Miguels. I agree that the situation would never have happened if the other sons had not been involved in a illegl activity and run home to mommy. If the two had any regard for their mom or their family, they would have run elsewhere - not home. How stupid andunthoughtful is that?
Report Violation
posted by Mom2CandC on Dec 20, 2007 at 11:53 AM
Let's see....if it were my child and I had the cops outside the house ordering us all out, I would make sure he was awake and with me before I left the house!!! I don't buy that the kid didn't hear anything...come on people! Unless he is practically hard of hearing! And, the mom would certainly have thought to tell the officers that, right?!
I think the situation is unfortunate; however, when the police are looking for armed suspects in a robbery....that's serious! I would think that the mother would have made sure her son was awake and aware he needed to get out of the house - no matter what time it was. Don't blame the dog, he didn't know the kid was only 14. Blame the idiot brothers of the 14 year old kid! Dog bites hurt, no doubt about that! By a K-9 that was trained to subdue suspects by biting, I can't imagine the pain! However, think of the number of teeth the dog has and the fact that the numerous wounds could have been the resulf of a single attempt to bite. Of course, everytime you hear of this type of incident, the family has already retained an attorney to "protect their rights"...
posted by witbee on Dec 20, 2007 at 12:07 PM
A 14 year old can fire a gun just as easily as his older brothers. With all the racket in and around the house, the kid was not very likely asleep unless he is deaf and blind.
The mom should be locked up for child endangerment considering she left her son in the house, in harms way. The dog did HIS job, the officer did HIS job, the mom didn't do HER job.
posted by OldBlue56 on Dec 20, 2007 at 12:10 PM
Nick, you don't always believe the reports given to the media? What makes you say that? Can you give a local example where the police gave false information in a news release? However, what actually gets broadcast to the public by the media is sometimes different from what the police say. Any story can be slanted in one way or the other to suit the desires of the news director or editor. It is well known that TBC is a very liberal newspaper, and takes almost any chance it can to show the police, and the District Attorneys Office, in a negative light.
posted by ChicoEsquela on Dec 20, 2007 at 12:16 PM
More than likely the 14 year old will follow in his brothers footsteps and join a street gang. But if he does, at least there will be a positive from this incident. When he commits a crime, the witnesses can describe him as the Hispanic male with a large scar across his forehead. ~~OldBlue
posted by ChicoEsquela on Dec 20, 2007 at 12:18 PM
Of coors there be a lawsuit!
A BEEG one!
posted by ABC23 on Dec 20, 2007 at 12:22 PM
OldBlue, I agree, it works both ways. The media isn't always correct in telling stories. But that doesn't mean I always believe the police are always getting their facts straight either... it's all CYA, and is smart to do so, especially in press releases.
I have friends who are officers who I would trust with my life. Others who I have known who are officers I wouldn't trust for anything. It's just the way it is. There are good and bad apples everywhere. In this case, once again, I don't know. But my opinion is I hope it wasn't force that got out of control.
I edited this comment because of name-calling:
I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but I do know that dogs are able to sence fear or to go a further length: they know what type of mood you are in. Now, wouldn't you think that a little boy asleep proposes any threat to a k-9. If he is on the "Police force" he should know right or wrong. Isn't a k-9 killer known as a cop killer. So a I would assume that a k-9 should know where and when to react. k-9's are trained to attack. Why don't they know right from wrong. My neighbor has a german shepard 1 year old and he know how to react in diffrent situations. If you are scared, he will bark. If you are angry, or he knows that you are not afraid, he will leave you alone. This goes for any dog. Why shouldn't this be called police brutality against the k-9? If he knows fear or testosterome, why would a police officer attack a little boy asleep in bed? What if a dog was chasing a perp. and another child just happens to be in the wrong place @ the wrong time and he attacks the boy while the perp gets away?
You tell me.
Folks,
First, let me reiterate...
The police said the teenager was not involved in the robbery.
Second, I feel really BAD for the teen after seeing all the photo's.
That is horrible, and I wouldn't wish that kind of attack on anyone or anything.
That said.
A K-9 is not like your German Shepherd at home.
They aren't like any dog you've ever owned, unless you are a police officer that adopted your partner once he became too old to be on the force.
They are trained for specific purposes.
I believe with almost complete certainty that the officer didn't order his dog to attack a teenager that was in his bed.
I don't believe the conspiracy theorists who think every cop is corrupt.
Sorry, not gonna do it.
And I don't believe for one minute, that if the mother allegedly told the cops that her son was asleep in the house, that she wouldn't tell them EXACTLY where he was.
Her attorney told ABC23 that she TOLD police he was in the house.
And don't give me all the commotion of lights, sirens and everything else, if my son's life is potentially at stake, I'd be yelling at the top of my lungs where he was in the house.
The police were sweeping the house to make sure it was clear.
You don't do that in a polite fashion when you've got at least one or more known gang members in the front yard after they robbed a store with a knife.
The teenager is the unfortunate bystander in this instance.
Is it the BPD's fault?
Do you really believe the handler allowed his dog to bite a child that severely?
Have you ever got dressed up in the perp suit and had a K-9 released on you?
I've been on scene during searches and have had a police dog take me to the ground, and a lot of damage can be done in a few seconds if the dog hits you just right.
I hope the teenager is going to be alright.
I still believe the blame lies with the mom, AND the son's involved in the robbery.
I don't like the word "conspiracy." Makes me cringe. I don't have a problem with the word "skeptic" though. It's Descartian, it's challenging, and it simply means to be a critical thinker and to not accept blindly all that is told to you.
Kind of like the whole thing about Ducks being attacked by stray dogs in Central Park. I work next to the park. I haven't seen any dogs. And more ducks died on a recent rainy night. More dogs? I don't disbelieve. I merely question and suggest there are potentially other explanations.
I mean, our founding fathers questioned British government and their monarchy. If they hadn't gone through all the name-calling from Loyalists by standing up with their skeptical beliefs, then where would we be today?
Be a skeptic I say!
I still think noise and confusion could have been a factor. I don't think all policemen are always the best communicators on the planet.
Three kids were jumped walking home after a football game. Police tried to blame the parent instead of listening and communicating and reasoning.
It happens. We all could get better at communicating.
And my kids could sleep through atomic explosions, so I do believe the kid could have been asleep.
I live about 6 blocks from that home and the helicopter rotor noise woke us up, The K9 had to be barking. please be aware that this home was also a crime scene in the early part of January where this kids brother a known gang member killed someone in that very home and then dumped the victim on cottonwood road like an animal. the kid that got bitten wonders the streets and is very disrespectful and defiante to people it is very unlikely that this kid was asleep and did not hear all the commotion outside his house or inside remember that another suspect ran thru the home and out the back. I bet the only reason the lady is suing is because she needs the money to get an attorney for her other son that is awaiting trial for murder. she should be ashamed that her sons were out robbing. If she gets any money from the city, she will give some to her kids so they won't be robbing anyone else. as for the attorney he is a joke that picks and chooses what cases to take that he knowns that will settle out and looking for an easy buck.
Just because the police stated it happened this way, that doesn't mean that is what happened...
I sent this to a friend of mine who works in corrections in IL. After reading, this is what we sent back to me.
"I've seen all sorts of police dogs in action, and they're weird creatures. When one was supposed to be searching for drugs, it grabbed the toys of the dog that was at the house. Some are friendly. Ours will actually attack me if I go by its car. If the officers did everything they claimed, they followed every reasonable safety concern that I know of. They called out, and they checked if anyone was inside with the mom. Once the home's clear, they're going to let the dog loose. It found him right away. Then it bit. I feel really bad for the kid because he's just a victim."
I agree with NL on being a skeptic. I don't really trust anybody in most circumstances. Everybody is always going to try to cover their butt, whether telling the truth or not.
If someone was killed there or near there, then this story is getting weirder by the moment...
Why would the kid hide under a blanket though. Just seems strange.
I accept your skeptisim.
It's the foundation of journalism.
But when was the last time you stood in the yard with your sleeping children inside as your house was surrounded by police with a K-9, looking for a knife-weilding suspect, who may or may not be inside, as the dog and his handler were preparing to go inside and sweep the building?
I'm skeptical that you would 'not' be able to tell officers exactly where your kids were inside the house.
Remember, I've heard you yell...
I wasn't yelling. I was singing. That's how bad I am. Not too good of a dancer either. You make great points, Mike.
I wonder why the kid was hiding beneath a blanket and why the dog attacked his face?
He wasn't hiding... he was sleeping remember?!
Mike, I don't know if the kid was sleeping, hiding, or what. I was just wondering. I don't know if excessive force was used or not either. I'm just wonderin' why the kid was under a blanket and why his face was chewed on... And as for yelling, that's your normal tone and probably why you're such a great announcer at the Condors games. If I don't yell, how will you ever hear me?? :)
Nobody knows (or will ever truly know) both sides of this story. Here's something else to chew on though(intended pun). People have had K9 companions for approximately 50,000 years.
Assuming a generation every two years, that's 25,000 generations of dogs living with people. This makes dogs VERY good at reading body language (to the point where a person doesn't even realize that he's broadcasting certain things in their body language...the dog is picking it up). The dogs that where bad at reading body language where considered dumb and went into the soup pot. Those that where good at interpreting human body language lived long enough
to create the next generation. Dogs do not smell fear, but they can read it in your body language.
Now the sleeping teenager may have actually slept through all the commotion (who really knows) and may not have been broadcasting fear or aggression, but the dog would have been very tuned into his handlers body language, as that
is who the dog needs to please and protect. That's possibly the long and short of why this K9 bite this young man.
The dog is not at fault. The officer is not at fault for broadcasting his emotions through his body language (perhaps even subconsciously)to the dog....but how in God's name did the Mother of this young man not fight tooth & nail to remain in her home until ALL of her children where removed from harms way? That's the part of the story that I'm having an issue with.
These are just the thoughts of a Canadian breeder of "Roman
Rottweilers" who has some idea as to K9 behavior. I am also a parent, so I completely do NOT understand the behavior of this young man's mother though...
Interesting thought. Was there any language barrier? Not trying to be rude to anybody, and def. not trying to hand out ideas. Just a thought.
the lady should not have lied to the police and said no one was there... If my kid was asleep in the other room and there were dogs comming in... The first thing I would tell the police is where my kid was
Plain and simple, the police will be able to get out of it, because they are the police.
I think they should have handled the situation differently. Rather than just letting the dog go, they should have done a search of the house themselves, just in case someone (who wasn't the robber) was still inside (oops wait, there was...there was an innocent boy inside sleeping, who will not probably have scars on his face for the rest of his life).
I mean what if there was a team of K-9 cops on each house of the street, and they all did the same thing, just ask the family if everyone was out, and then instead of searching the house, just sent in the dogs. I bet you someone else would have been bitten, in all the panic and confusion.
Plain and simple, the dog isn't to blame, it was the handlers poor decision to let the dog do the dirty work, instead of him taking the time to search the house himself.
I say the police should pay for the boys medical bills, and damges,..etc.
Thank you for not blaming the dog or law enforcement in this day when everyone is going against officers for excessive force. I have a couple questions:
Why would a parent exiting the house with some children not wake up her sleeping son?
How does a child not wake up with the commotion (I understand disabilities, but someone should have taken him out or informed PD of a total amount of kids in the house and done a head count), there is something else going on.
Responsibility needs to start being placed on individuals for some of these incidents (not all-there are weapon happy officers out ther and ones who abuse the badge) because there are only so many warnings that law enforcement can give when trying to protect the general public.
It's the mother's own fault. It seems she was covering up the crime just committed by her sons by trying to delay a search of the home. How would she not know one of her sons was sleeping and why in the world would she allow the police to search while he's in the back room sleeping. And for that matter, I seriously doubt this kid was sleeping through all this - heavy sleeper or not. The dog/handler/police dept should in no way be liable. This lawsuit is the most ridiculous I have ever read about. Take responsibily for your kids and when brought up in an environment where the kids see that, they are likely to grow up being responsible citizens as well. She's a bad parent and the kids are obviously bad kids.
Obviously the officer that let the dog in is to blame.. The dog only did what it was trained to do.
Quick update to the debate:
The K-9 was on a leash during the entire search.
The dog reportedly lunged through the doorway of a room that had not yet been searched and bit the teenager who was under the covers.
According to the police report, the handler pulled the dog back, but only after it was able to bite the teenager.
And don't believe the police are going to walk on this one.
The mom has hired a local attorney who has a lot of experience going after the city and Kern County.
I believe the mom and kids are to blame, but they will most likely get a settlement based on the injuries.
The mother is to blame for not informing the police that her son was in the house. However I do believe the medical charges should be paid by the town. That's why I have an umbrella insurance policy with my new 7 month old black lab.
Years ago while on a business trip, one of my step-dad's co-workers slept through a car crashing through her ground floor hotel room. The car finally stopped about a foot from her bed. She ONLY woke up when police and paramedics banged on the door and yelled "Is anyone in there? Is anyone hurt?" I, myself, slept through a fire alarm and my entire dorm being evacuated when I was in college. One of my roommates had to come back upstairs and wake me up!! So yes, it IS possible that someone can be THAT deeply asleep, and not hear a loud commotion.
Now, as for the mom not saying anything about her son being in the house: There's no way to know why she said that. Maybe, as someone else mentioned, her teenage son was gone earlier in the evening, and she didn't know he had come back home. Maybe she panicked, in the face of having her house raided by cops. My grandmother, in complete panic mode, drove about a mile down the road toward the hospital, WITHOUT my grandfather, who had just cut two of his fingers off in his woodshop. Again, there's no way to know why the Mom said what she said.
But, one thing I have to note is that the SLEEPING - repeat, SLEEPING - teenage son's face was really shredded by that dog. You can't blame the dog. It's entirely the handler's fault. That kid will need at least one round of surgery to treat his injuries, and there is absolutely no doubt that the city should pay for his medical expenses.
It's the mom's fault. She should've known where her kids were, and she would obviously know that her child was in the house sleeping. She should've woken him up. The dog didn't know, it thought the kid was a robber. People always try to put the blame on the police or someone else just so they can get money. The kid didn't deserve to be bitten, but the mother should have told the police he was in there, by stating that everyone was accounted for, or that no one was in the house. That gives the police the go ahead to take the dog in and search.
Didn't this whole Mike Vick thing teach us that we shouldn't be using dogs as weapons, didn't he just get crucified for teaching dogs how to attack and act overly aggressive. We all thought that is was cruel to force dogs to fight one another. But now you same people are defending cops who train dogs to attack and maul humans. Isn't this a double standard. Dogs are not weapons. they can be useful in searching for people or substances, but they do not have the common sense to tell a robber from a teenager.
100 % in agreement with the author! First the mother brings up boys who are robbing places and a menace to society. Then the mother wants to rob society a different way with a lawsuit due to HER negligence?
The DA should counter sue for child neglect and throw her in jail for bringing up kids so badly in the first place. It is not our society's job to fix her broken kids. That is her job alone. Else don't have them. Its your uterus they came from, and your poor parenting that created them!
Jail the mother along with all her sons, including the one that got hurt. Enough of this namby pamby crybaby stuff. The dog did his job. Good dog!!!!
Children don't deserve to be mauled!! The dog should have been on a long lease for control purposes
Someone gonna git paid! Regardless of the scenario and the truthiness of the police statements or veracity of the mother's statement, if I were in this situation I would file a suit as well. A dog can be just as lethal as a firearm, and you should always be able to see where you're pointing one.
It certainly sounds like the mother might have not been the best (or maybe she's just really unlucky) since the older teenagers (if i gather correctly) were indeed involved in a crime- however not raising the most morally upstanding children is not a crime-but I do believe the police officer was in the wrong here. The dog should have not been allowed to attack a sleeping child.
According to the report the officer knew a teenager was still in the house and in bed, he should have taken care so that no one would have been hurt. I think it's completely ignorant to assume because you would wake up with such noise around that everyone would. I remember when I was a child someone fell asleep at the wheel and slammed into both the telephone pole and the stone fence around my house and fire trucks, police cars, the jaws of life and life line all arrived- my older sister slept through the entire thing- so it can certainly happen. Also -he might have been awake and very well have been frightened to death- as a 14 year old I dunno, if I heard commotion outside and then someone creeping around my house I would be hiding underneath the covers as well!
The fact of the matter is the child did nothing wrong and yet now he has a huge scar on his face and I'm sorry for the officer because I believe it most likely was truly a mistake but it was still a mistake and he's a professional. When a waitress delivers the wrong food -you send it back and probably don't tip- being a police officer you must take even more responsibility because you are dealing with danger..
As for the dog, I don't think they should do anything to it... it was just acting out under the guidance of it's handler.
In response to anonymous. A long leash for control in an urban environment (?) isn't any more effective than no leash at all. I'm assuming my dog (34" at the shoulder and 70kg) is much larger than what the police are using for a K9 Officer.
I use a 36" leash in an urban setting, and shorten that up to about 8" in a confrontational situation.
Not being an American, and therefore unaware of your
specific legislation, I agree that someone should pay for this young mans medical attention, etc..and that should be the person at fault. The City, on this child's behalf, should sue his Mother for his reconstructive surgeries,etc...
Again, this is just the opinion of a Canadian breeder of Roman Rottweilers. (Oh, in imperial; 70kg=158lbs.)
It is ultimately the mother's fault period. Maybe is she hadn't raised scoundrels, none of this would have happened. I am a mother myself and this woman needs to take responsability for her lack of parenting skills. With one of her son's in jail and the others being suspected robbers, shouldn't she be angry at herself instead of third parties who are just trying to control the human wastes she created?
This is truly amazing to me that we are not blaming the the parents of these punks they raised. One is in jail, two are on their way and this other one is probably right behind them. Don't tell me this kid didn't hear all this commotion. The dog and the police were doing their jobs. Someone mentioned a lanuage barrier, please, they know how to say attorney, sue and monies.
I would say we hold on to any monies that some fools may award them as we, the taxpayes, will be paying to upkeep these low life thugs for years to come. They should out this mother away for a while as she is now responisble for turning such trash loose on our streets to prey on decent law bidding citizens.
I agree, with this blog. and also i heard that the family didnt speak english also is this true
Live with thieves, die like thieves.
Considering the circumstances as described, officer safety comes first. Unknown subject, possibly an armed suspect, hidden under a blanket, gets bitten after police ask mom if anyone else is in the res AND after they make their presence known.
Sounds like a good bite to me. Good dog! Not only did the dog identify the threat, he neutralized it, potentially saving the officer from injury.
Good dog!
I'd be willing to bet the state has already been exposed to a loss from these non-speakers as someone has to pay the ER bill.
At least, as previously mentioned, this less than functional idiot will be easy to identify in the future.
Real good dog.
Good dog, he discovered a threat hidden under a blanket, took action and saved the officers from possible attack. Plain and simple. This family has nothing coming. Good job, dog.
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