The mother of an 11-year-old girl bitten on the face by a police dog at Hazelwood Middle School said yesterday that the animal "should not have been there."
Michelle McGarry said she is considering suing the city of New Albany and the New Albany-Floyd County school system. The statement came at a press conference held in the office of her attorney, Bart Betteau.
New Albany Police Chief Merle Harl said the city would cover Courtney McGarry's medical costs, but Betteau said there could be other damages, such as the bite's psychological impact.
In a separate interview yesterday, Harl said that Mike Isom, the officer handling the dog at the time, violated dog-training guidelines by allowing students to crowd around and pat the animal, which is what happened when Courtney, 11, was bitten.
Harl added, however, that Isom is "an excellent police officer" and if there is any disciplinary action against him, it likely will be limited to a verbal reprimand.
The dog, a 2-year-old shepherd named Condor, has been working for about six months as a drug-sniffing dog and has never been involved in an incident like the one at Hazelwood, Harl said.
Nonetheless, he said the department likely will change its policies -- for example, muzzling dogs on their way to and from demonstrations.
There also will be fewer demonstrations, he said, adding that when they are held, "No one will be allowed to pet that dog, period."
Harl said Condor will be in quarantine for 10 days and, if found to be healthy, will be allowed to return to police work.
Courtney, a sixth-grader at Hazelwood, was at the press conference; her wounds covered by a small square white patch on her forehead and a larger oval bandage on her right cheek.
She didn't speak, but occasionally nodded or shook her head in answer to questions, as her mother elaborated.
Michelle McGarry said 15 stitches were needed to close wounds from the single bite, which "traumatized" and frightened her daughter, adding that Courtney has not been in class since the Monday afternoon incident. She probably will return today.
McGarry said the family is not asking that the dog be destroyed.
"We're animal lovers," she said, noting that they have three cats at home.
But she added of the police dog: "I don't feel it should be around children."
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