POMONA, Calif. (AP) A police dog pursuing a suspected car thief put the bite on an innocent bystander, authorities said, leaving the man with a gash on his arm that took seven stitches to close.
Matthew Lemieux, 21, of Chino Hills, was standing in front of his place of work with a friend on Oct. 11 when the dog, named Rudo, ran up and grabbed him.
``It's just like what you see on TV.,'' he said. ``The dog just rips and shakes his head. You can't really do anything because it's a cop. You're not allowed to punch a cop.''
Police turned Rudo loose after a man suspected of stealing a car jumped out of the vehicle and fled on foot. The man, who ran behind a building and got away, was out of sight by the time Rudo's handler released him, said police Capt. Dave Keetle.
Police dogs are trained to sit and bark if a person doesn't resist, but Keetle said Lemieux didn't stay still enough.
``He offered his arm to the dog,'' Keetle said. ``I guess basically because he didn't know what else to do.''
Lemieux said the Police Department paid his medical bills and the city of Pomona offered him $400 in compensation. He turned down the $400, he said, adding he plans to take legal action because his injury caused him to miss two weeks of work.
Pomona police have used dogs for approximately 20 years, Keetle said, noting this is the first case he knew of in which a canine collared the wrong person.
``It's unfortunate, but basically we did everything we're supposed to do,'' he said. ``We just didn't see the guy there.''
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