BOISE -- A 13-year-old boy is recovering today after being bit several times by a police dog.
Police dogs are meant to go after criminals, but in this case the teen attacked did nothing wrong.
Jacob Yoneda was treated and released after he was taken to the hospital, but first he received several stitches and a prescription for pain medication.
It all started at lunch time Wednesday. Jacob was riding his bike in Meridian when a police dog ran after him and knocked him down at the intersection of 13th and Radial. Jacob was only able to escape after a neighbor grabbed the dog and got bit in the hand in the process. The K-9 is a Belgium "malamaw." Like other K-9 dogs, it lives with his Ada County deputy handler and is used to track and apprehend criminals.
“He wasn't angry. It was part of that dog’s personality, and the dog basically broke through the kennel that he was in, the handler was home at the time of the incident, and the dog was just far enough away the handler didn't hear the commotion," said Captain Ron Freeman, Ada County Sheriff's Office.
“He bit me right there, then I think he started chewing on my ear. Then his mouth went into my mouth and mostly punctured it,” said Jacob Yoneda, attack victim.
Jacob was also bit on his back and arm.
The dog will be quarantined for ten days and there will be an investigation into why the dog behaved the way it did. Repairs will also be made to the dog's kennel.
The sheriff's office hopes to keep the dog on the force and says the animal was likely doing what it was trained to do when it went after Jacob.
However, Meridian Police are seeking to charge bring criminal charges in this case for a dog at large and dog rushing.
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