"... but it's a mistake to blame the dogs; they do what they are trained (or mistrained) to do ..."

Art by Eric Drooker

... the real culprits are bad handling, bad training, and bad policy-making. For things to change, it's the two-footed cops who have to be held accountable...."

For many, 'police dog abuse' immediately brings to mind the tumultuous events of 1963, when the notorious bigot 'Bull' Connor ordered his Birmingham police officers to deploy snarling German shepherds and water cannons against civil rights marchers. Images of these events were televised across the U.S., and the outrage they generated turned out to be a pivitol factor in rallying popular support for the civil rights movement. Later, it was the Birmingham dog attacks which were chosen as the subject of a statue erected in Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham (see: Birmingham Civil Rights Memorial) to commemorate the courage of those who stood at the front lines in the civil rights movement.

Police dog abuse has resurfaced on many occasions since that time. This site offers links to news reports, historical context, and other information relevant to this issue.

If a broken link is encountered, please notify me (g8alert@yahoo.com) and an archived version of the missing information will be made available.

Birmingham Dogs - 1963

Ottawa Dogs - November 2001

U.S. Military Dogs in Iraq - Dec. 2003

**This website mainly documents cases of irresponsible and/or malicious deployment of police dogs. For further information on abusive practices during the training of police dogs, see: StopLynching.com

Recent Reports

• Man who lost right arm in attack by retired police dog files lawsuit (Dec. 30, 2005 / Arizona Daily Star) "A Tucson man who lost his right arm after it was mangled by a retired police dog has sued Pima County, the Sheriff's department, animal control and the deputy who owned the dog...." For more info on this horrific case, see April 21, 2005 (below) in these archives.

• Officer in lawsuit investigated, suspended for excessive force (Dec. 30, 2005 / AP) "... [Chattanooga police officer] Jon Watkins is accused of releasing a police dog on a handcuffed man.... Watkins has been investigated 16 times by internal affairs and eleven of those alleged he used excessive force...."

• Court of Appeals to Decide if Officers can be Sued over Brutal Attack (Dec. 23, 2005 / KNDU) "A man claims three Kennewick police officers and a police dog attacked him, and police admit they had the wrong man.... The dog was roaming free when it entered the yard near Umatilla Avenue where [Ken] Rogers was sleeping. Court documents say officers Kohn and Bonnalie and a Benton County sheriff's deputy hit Rogers with their fists, knees and flashlights while the police dog continued to bite the man [... who now] suffers from permanent hearing loss and other injuries from the attack...."

• Stratford High School - "All right, bring the dogs down" announces a loudspeaker voice after students have been handcuffedTentative agreement reached in Goose Creek drug sweep lawsuit: Deal could cost police, district $2 million for rights violations (Dec. 21, 2005 / AP) "Stratford High School students who were in a hallway two years ago when officers conducted a drug sweep with guns drawn would share a couple of million dollars under a tentative settlement agreement.... The proposal would give students up to $15,000 each, depending on specific experiences and how many ultimately participate...." For more on this incident, see December 2003 in these archives.

• Bristol Officer Kills Police Dog (Dec. 20, 2005 / Hartford Courant) "Bosco, a German Shephard, raced across the first floor, charged out a patio door that had been left open and attacked a police officer, according to Capt. Daniel McIntyre. The dog bit the officer, backed off and then attacked a second time, and the officer fired his shotgun at him...."; Police Dog's Death On Duty To Be Investigated (Dec. 24, 2005 / Hartford Courant) "... Memphis police shot and killed one of their dogs several years ago after it began biting officers outside a burglarized building. Lt. L.T. Brown, a supervisor in that department's canine unit, said police dogs should never be unleashed during a building search if any exits are left open. 'You cannot take the dog off the leash if there's a remote possibility that the building isn't secure,' Brown said...."

• School district may hire its own sniffer dog (Dec. 15, 2005 / Globe & Mail) District administrator Rob Dennis explained that the goal is to circumvent the privacy rights of his students: "There's an expectation of the student that their privacy has been breached when a police dog comes in and searches their locker so that the evidence is no longer admissible in a court of law."

• Szabla v. City of Minnesota (Dec. 1, 2005 / 8th Circuit via findlaw.com -- pdf file) The Eighth Circuit Court reverses a district court judgment which ruled in favour of the City of Minnesota; the new ruling concludes that the city's policy of allowing dogs to 'track' (as opposed to 'search for') suspects without prior warning is a Fourth Amendment violation.

• Man bitten by police dog sues Lodi (Nov. 17, 2005 / San Joaquin News Service) "The alleged attack occurred on June 18 near the intersection of Beckman and Victor roads. Garcia was leaving the restaurant when he was stopped by the restaurant's security guards — not police. The guards asked him to take out his driver's license and called Lodi Police. As [Daniel] Garcia was standing by his vehicle, according to the suit, Lodi police officers arrived, and a police dog jumped on him. The alleged attack lasted more than one minute...."

• Former U.S. Army Interrogator Describes the Harsh Techniques He Used in Iraq, Detainee Abuse by Marines and Navy Seals and Why "Torture is the Worst Possible Thing We Could Do" (Nov. 15, 2005 / Democracy Now)

• Police dog bite sends NV man to LGH (Nov. 13, 2005 / North Shore News) "...'As soon as I (saw) the police dog and handler coming at me, I stopped," [Ron Chisholm] said. However, the dog allegedly continued to run at him and bit him three times and then did not let go after a fourth bite.... Chisholm was then sent to Lions Gate Hospital by ambulance, suffering a wound situated between his right knee and waist requiring 20 to 30 stitches...."

• Police dog accused of biting (Nov. 8, 2005 / AP) "...[Luis Sanabria] was kneeling with his hands over his head when Thor latched onto his right arm.... [T]he deep bite hospitalized Sanabria for five days...."

• The Case of the Dog That Couldn't Smell Straight (Nov. 4, 2005 / Orange County Weekly) "No evidence, no problem for cops in case against James Ochoa..."

• FBI asked to probe actions by officers during arrest (Oct. 20, 2005 / Fresno Bee) "Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer on Wednesday asked the FBI to investigate whether two police officers used excessive force against a man who was punched and kicked, bitten by a police dog and shot with a less-lethal shotgun. Dyer also said a city risk manager was being proactive in going to the jail to offer money to Rolando Gasca Celdon for his written promise not to sue the city. Charles Magill, a lawyer who represented Celdon in court Wednesday, said the city's offer of $10,000 was "hush money" because the risk management official allegedly promised to have the charges dropped. The offer, Magill said, "is an admission of guilt" that can be used in a civil rights lawsuit against police. Though Celdon, 25, signed the waiver, Magill said, he later rejected the offer because the charges weren't dismissed...."

• Police dog shot by deputy during pursuit (Oct. 17, 2005 / KRQE) "A Bernalillo County Sheriff's police dog was shot and killed after reported attacking a deputy as they searched for suspects...."; Canine shot for attacking police officer (Oct. 18, 2005 / Albuquerque Tribune) "...Deputy Heather Schreckendgust underwent surgery for her arm injury Monday afternoon.... [T]he deputy's prognosis wasn't clear.... [Bernalillo County sheriff's department spokeswoman Erin] Kinnard Kinnard said the dog's actions are the subject of one pending lawsuit against the department. She said it is just a coincidence that his name is the same as an Albuquerque Police Department canine that has been named in lawsuits for excessive biting...."

• Officer pleads guilty to embezzling money for retired police dogs (Sept. 27, 2005 / Associated Press) "Cpl. Eric Rimat, 45, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of grand theft and was placed on five years probation and ordered to repay the money plus $5,000 to the Orange County Police Canine Association.... Rimat had also been charged with bigamy.... Defense attorney Ron Brower said Rimat remains on paid administrative leave...."

• Broward county K-9 handlers encourage dogs to maul handcuffed arrestee John Barton (on ground)Man who says he was chewed up by three K9's sues BSO for damages (Sept. 16, 2005 / South Florida Sun Sentinel) "... [John Barton] held his arms out of the car window to surrender.... one police dog was sent in through the driver side, biting Barton and tearing 'open the flesh of Barton's arm to the bone,'... a second dog was sent in through the passenger side. 'It's almost like the dogs are doing a tug of war' said [attorney Wayne] Koppel .... When Barton was taken out of the car and handcuffed facedown on the ground, a surveillance tape at a car dealership had captured the incident and appears to show a third dog was then released.... According to the police investigation, Barton was taken to North Broward Medical Center and treated for low blood pressure and several deep injuries to his arms and left leg, including exposed muscle tissue...." (see also Jan. 8 2005 in this archive)

• 2 women wounded in running gunbattle (Sept. 14, 2005 / Arizona Republic) "...a police K-9 working dog was shot and wounded by an officer. The dog accidentally bit the officer as police searched for suspects from the shooting, police said...."

• Man reports police-dog attack (Sept. 13, 2005 / Beacon Journal) "A 23-year-old Akron man said he was the victim of an unprovoked attack early Saturday by a police dog that charged him through a garage door that suddenly opened in the rear of the Kent Police Department station house....Fletcher said the K-9's police handler stood near the garage and tried to give the dog voice commands to stop but did not attempt to grab the dog and pull it away...."

• Police dog victim set to take Bill of Rights case for compensation (Sept. 11, 2005 / Sunday Star Times) "When a police dog on a leash savaged Kere Tatana in his own backyard, officers told him he was 'in the wrong place at the wrong time'. Tatana thinks he was simply the wrong colour. Police have offered him $1500 compensation for the attack, which left him hospitalised with 50 stitches and nerve damage...."

• Katrina Survivor Alleges Police Brutality (Sept. 9, 2005 / WTVC) "Jonathan Garner and his family braved the storm in New Orleans and then stayed behind to help others evacuate. And it was when he was lending a helping hand that he says he was assaulted by the very people there to protect and serve.... With no warning, Garner says a guardman ... demanded he get on the ground and threatened to sic his police dog on Garner. He says before he could get the a out of his mouth, the dog attacked. It tore at his body and legs before the officer called him off...."

• Health concerns prompt closing of Balto. Co. police dog center (Sept. 10, 2005 / Baltimore Sun) "Two Baltimore County police dogs have died of cancer, and officers who handle the animals have complained of health problems - prompting the department to close its canine facility until environmental tests are done...."

• Gresham police dog bites 5-year-old girl in the face (Sept. 3, 2005 / The Oregonian) "A 5-year-old girl was seriously injured Wednesday when a Gresham police dog bit her in the face at his handler's home.... The incident -- the dog's second in several months -- involved [Officer Scott] Cunningham's niece, who lives next door to the officer...."; Police Dog Quarantined After Biting 5-Year-Old Girl (Sept. 7, 2005 / AP) "... Lex the German shepherd bit his handler's niece on the face, seriously injuring the girl. The child suffered a gash that stretched from her mouth to her ear. She was treated at a hospital and is recovering at home. It's unclear what caused Lex to lash out, but officials say the attack occurred after the child walked through an opening in the fence at the back of the property where the dog was staying with his handler...." Unclear?? How about a big hole in the fence for starters. But as in so many of these horrific cases, the police are attempting to redirect all the blame onto the dog so that the handler's criminal negligence can be swept under the rug.Police Dog Euthanized After Biting 5-Year-Old Girl (Sept. 21, 2005 / KOIN) "This decision was not an easy one. It was only reached after careful and deliberate consideration of all possible options...." K-9 handler leaves gap in fence where child can enter and be mauled by a trained attack dog... and the solution is to execute the dog??? How utterly pathetic. May the Gresham P.D. be sued all the way into recievership.

• Police dog attacks airline worker (Sept. 1, 2005 / The Post-Standard) "... Officer Charles Quick was working an airport detail with the police dog, Reno, and took the dog off leash about 9:50 a.m. to let the dog run around, Connellan said. Connellan said it's standard procedure to let police dogs off leash to exercise. Quick saw Reno's ears perk up before the dog ran after [59 year old Sharron] House, who had been walking on a roadway near the former US Airways reservation center, which is vacant, Connellan said.... House was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital Heath Center for treatment, which included stitches on her leg, police said.... Reno was taken out of service until the dog can be retrained or evaluated, Connellan said...." 'STANDARD PROCEDURE' to let police dogs run around the airport off-leash??!! If this is what the Syracuse police call "standard procedure", they better have a huge pile of money to cover civil liability costs....

• Study: Race Disparity During Traffic Stops (Aug. 24, 2005 / AP) "Black, Hispanic and white motorists are equally likely to be pulled over by police, but blacks and Hispanics are much more likely to be searched, handcuffed, arrested and subjected to force or the threat of it, a Justice Department study has found.... Force was defined as when an officer pushed, grabbed, kicked or hit a driver with a hand or object. Also included were police dog bites, chemical or pepper spray or a firearm pointed at the driver, or the threat of any of these...."

• Police K-9 deployed against seated antiwar protesters in PittsburghPOG Shuts Down Military-Recruitment Station in Pittsburgh -- Police attack blockade with tasers, dogs, and chemical weapons (Aug. 21, 2005 / Pittsburgh Indymedia) "...overwhelming police presence started ordering people to disperse from the sidewalk, and a police dog began pursuing people. Cops hit and shoved people, while the dog lunged forward and bit a 68-year-old grandmother who was walking away with her back to the dog. The police also let the dog bite a videographer...."; Anti-war marchers say police used excessive force (Aug. 22, 2005 / AP) "Two police watchdog groups said Monday that at least 11 complaints had been filed against officers patrolling Saturday's march by about 90 people protesting military recruitment in high schools...."

• Police Dog Mistakenly Bites Child (Aug. 20, 2005 / AP) "... David Martin had a 1/2-inch deep wound to his left thigh and multiple puncture wounds. He needed a number of stitches and will be on crutches .... David's parents will likely contact the city attorney when their son recovers, they said, as well as their own lawyer to file a complaint."

• K-9 Bites Teenager (Aug. 18, 2005 / WCCO) "A Minneapolis police dog was taken off the streets after he bit a teenaged boy, police said. The boy's mother took him to the hospital where the 14-year-old had to get 25 stitches...."

• Six file $30 million lawsuit against officer (Aug. 15, 2005 / Daily Herald) "... Crawford and his partner physically abused 14-year-old Nichole Surber of Marengo while placing her under arrest for underage drinking. The suit contends both officers sat on the teenage girl, allowed a police dog to bite her arm unnecessarily and allowed her breasts to be exposed to a group of onlookers...."; Civil rights suit stems from investigation (Aug. 17, 2005 / Daily Herald); Secrecy sought in cop case (Aug. 19, 2005 / Daily Herald) "...Police department attorney Mark Gummerson made a last-minute motion to keep the police and fire commission proceedings secret and to disqualify the commission’s attorney from overseeing them...."; Marengo suspends officer (January 26, 2006 / Northwest Herald)

• A.C. man cites police brutality in K-9 incident (Aug. 12, 2005 / The Press of Atlantic City) "John Perry, 53, claims he sustained more than 30 puncture wounds from dog bites.... [S]everal police officers were on top of him, pushing his face into the sand on the beach when a K-9 dog grabbed hold of his leg for more than 20 seconds. The K-9 officer ordered his dog, Storm, to let go but the dog apparently did not understand his commands, according to Perry and at least one eyewitness.... 'First, the police made an improper arrest and then they used a dog to restrain someone when there was no reason to do it,' [lawyer Alan] Lands said. 'It's clear that this was a handler that could not control his dog.'..."

• K-9 Officer Can't Sue Plant City Over Dog Bite (Aug. 12, 2005 / The Tampa Tribune) "...According to the lawsuit filed by Stasiak in Hillsborough County Circuit Court last year, the dog bit Stasiak's son, Jacob, in July 2003. Jacob was 6 years old. The bite was serious enough to leave a lasting scar on the child's face...."

• China protest turns ugly as demonstrations spread (Aug. 9, 2005 / Reuters) "...Police ultimately brought out dogs to end the protest and four petitioners were bitten, the newspaper said. Two days later, on Saturday, a crowd of about 10,000, angered by the dog attack, converged on the Huangshi city government and party offices...."

• Police beating caught on 'Cops' prompts suit (August 5, 2005 / AP); ‘COPS’ subject sues law officers (August 5, 2005 / News Tribune) "A man who says he was asleep last year when Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies, a Tacoma police officer and a K-9 dog attacked him while a 'COPS' television segment was being taped is suing the officers and police departments.... The officers twisted [Aaron] Hansen’s arms and fired an electric stun gun into his chest, the suit says.... The K-9 dog attacked Hansen, ripping apart his ankle, and the officer fired stun gun shots into Hansens’ rear end, the lawsuit says. Officers arrested Hansen and prosecutors charged him with multiple counts of assault, but the charges against him were dismissed later, the suit says...."

• Photographic evidence presented at hearing: Pvt. Sabrina Harman pauses for 'thumbs up' shot while stitching detainee's bite woundDog handlers’ hearing ends (July 27, 2005 / AP) "... The investigating officer, Maj. Glenn Simpkins, will take up to two weeks to consider the evidence and make a recommendation as to whether any charges should be dropped, and how any remaining charges should be dealt with. Witnesses testified Tuesday that military dogs bit at least two detainees at the prison in Iraq, one severely enough to require stitches. The unmuzzled dogs also were used to terrify inmates at the direction of Col. Thomas M. Pappas, the highest-ranking military intelligence officer at the prison, and Steven Stefanowicz, a civilian contractor who directed interrogations, witnesses said.... [Govt. witness Pvt. Ivan L. “Chip” Frederick II] said [defendent Sgt. Santos A.] Cardona’s dog bit detainee Ballendia Sadawi Mohammed in a bloody incident that started as a cell search.... eyewitness, Pvt. Sabrina Harman, said she stitched the wound on the right leg — 12 stitches, according to the inmate’s statement to investigators. 'It seemed like a lot of blood,' Harman testified. Harman said she then posed for a thumbs-up photograph...."; Abu Ghraib Warden Testifies About Dog Use (July 27, 2005 / AP)

• 
  Depictions of Abu Ghraib abuse by Colombian artist Fernando BoteroU.S. military dog handlers face Abu Ghraib hearing (July 26, 2005 / Reuters) "... Pvt. Ivan Frederick ... testified via telephone that in one instance Cardona's dog bit a naked inmate twice on the left and right thighs. Frederick said the military police dog handlers told him they were in a competition to see how many detainees they could scare into urinating and defecating on themselves.... Another witness, Spec. John Ketzer, also testified by telephone and said dogs had been used to frighten two juvenile detainees, both of them under 15 years of age.... Pvt. Sabrina Harman, who was convicted earlier this year in the abuse scandal, said she witnessed the dog attack on a detainee in mid-December and stitched up the man's thigh. Harman, who worked part-time in the prison clinic, said she noted two other instances of dog bites in late December but did not know the circumstances of those....." ; Two Dog Handlers Face Abu Ghraib Hearing (July 25, 2005 / AP) "Two Army dog handlers accused of using the animals in a personal contest to frighten detainees at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison are scheduled to appear for a military equivalent of a grand jury hearing Tuesday. Sgts. Santos A. Cardona and Michael J. Smith are charged with dereliction of duty and maltreatment of detainees...." ; Dog handlers named in Abu Ghraib abuse (June 3, 2005 / Los Angeles Times) "...According to Army charge sheets obtained by the Times, Sgt. Santos A. Cardona and Sgt. Michael Smith 'intentionally scared detainees to make them urinate on themselves as part of a game' at the prison between November 2003 and January 2004, during the height of the abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib.... If convicted on all charges, Cardona could be sentenced to as long as 20 years in prison...."; See also: Abu Ghraib Tactics Were First Used at Guantanamo (July 14, 2005 / Washington Post) "...Interrogators at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, forced a stubborn detainee to wear women's underwear on his head, confronted him with snarling military working dogs and attached a leash to his chains, according to a newly released military investigation that shows the tactics were employed there months before military police used them on detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq...."

• Funding for police dog raises hackles (July 22, 2005 / The Pantagraph) "... concerns include: Funds were solicited under the false pretense that the county couldn't afford the dog; having no board oversight of the expenses leads to an 'impression of illegality'; no paper trail accounts for income and expenses for the dog's purchase; donations could have come from companies that do business with the county in other capacities...."

• Former officer sues colleague over police dog bite (July 15, 2005 / AP) "...The suit seeks unspecified damages from Kenneth Owen, a part-time police officer who handle Pelham's dog. Owen, who did not return a call seeking comment, also is a Hampstead police officer and owns the Allbreeds Canine Training Center in Pelham...."

• Reprimand Sought for Ex-Guantanamo Leader (July 13, 2005 / Associated Press) ".... interrogators told [detainee Mohamed al-Qahtani] his mother and sisters were whores, forced him to wear a bra, forced him to wear a thong on his head, told him he was homosexual ... forced him to dance with a male interrogator, ... subjected him to strip searches with no security value, threatened him with dogs, forced him to stand naked in front of women and forced him onto a leash, to act like a dog...."

• Dog drug searches should require warrant: lawyer (July 12, 2005 / CBC) "Saying police breach the human rights of Nunavummiut when they use a drug-sniffer dog without a warrant, an Iqaluit lawyer wants the RCMP to return money seized during a random search of his client last year...."

• Teacher bitten by police dog to get $200,000 (July 1, 2005 / AP) "A Shoreview teacher who needed more than 200 stitches after she was repeatedly bitten by a police dog as she tried to turn off a false alarm will receive $200,000 to settle a lawsuit...." See also: Teacher disputes dog-bite account (Feb. 12, 2004 / Pioneer Press)

• Man sues Palmetto, claiming he was mauled by police dog (July 1, 2005 / Herald Tribune) "... [Eric] Pace was hiding in a swamp near the 3500 block of 10th Street West when Brix, the dog, was sent after him. Brix bit him on the face, head, shoulders and arms, according to the lawsuit. Pace claims police used unreasonable force and didn't train the dog or the officer properly in how to take down a fugitive...."

• Police dog bites officer (July 1, 2005 / Orange County Register) "... Officials determined that the bite was an accident and that the dog can continue to work with officers. The dog's name and how long it has been with the department wasn't available...." Of course the dog "can continue to work", because the dog simply responds to commands in accordance with its training (or lack thereof). The HANDLER is the one responsible for controlling K9 deployment, not the dog.

• Sheriff Satterfield bitten by police dog (July 1, 2005 / Tryon Daily Bulletin) "...Sam bit Sheriff Satterfield on the top of the lip and over his left eye.... Satterfield was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital and later to Mission Memorial Hospital in Asheville to have a plastic surgeon put stitches in his lip and over his eye...."

• Police dog mauls boy in Meridian (June 30, 2005 / The Idaho Statesman) "...The victim, who told [neighbour Dave] Warren he was in the eighth grade, was bike-riding with his little brother when the dog apparently knocked the boy off his bike and began biting him, Warren said. Warren started yelling at the dog while he ran toward the boy, but the dog refused to let go, he said. There was 'a lot of blood,' he said. 'I think the dog was trying to kill him. It was scary,' he said...." ; Police Dog Mauling Victim Speaks (June 30, 2005 / KBCI) "... '(The dog) caught up and ripped me off my bike, with my backpack, and then started chewing on me, like a toy,' Jacob [Yoneda] said. The Sheriff's Office says the canine that mauled Jacob was trained in Holland, where bicycles are often used to help dogs identify their prey. Jacob's mother, Bobbi Yoneda, says she's relieved the dog-- a Belgian Malinois--wasn't wild and had its shots, 'But to have this be a police dog and know that it would attack without command is scary.'... [T]he county has offered to pay her son's medical expenses, but a future lawsuit isn't completely out of the question. "; Meridian teen recovering after being attacked by police dog (July 1, 2005 / KTVB) "...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...." In spite of everything, let's give the sheriff's office this: at least they haven't tried to pull one over on everyone by blaming the dog.; July 14 update: WOOPS, WE TAKE IT ALL BACK! Sheriff's dog is kicked off the force (July 14, 2005 / Idaho Statesman) "...Duce, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois who has been quarantined since the June 29 attack, will likely be sold to another law enforcement organization or traded for another dog, [Sheriff Gary] Raney said.... Raney stressed that the dog, with more social training, would not be a threat to the community. However, Raney said he decided even the perception of safety problems with the dog outweighed the benefit of keeping Duce.... Raney did not specify any discipline the deputy might face and would not release his name...." So, in the end, it's the same old story: the dog is cast as the culprit in order to avoid any significant human accountability. Apparently, earlier reports that the handler would be charged were just a lot of hot air. A pathetic and pusillanimous issue to yet another episode of K9 handler negligence.

• St. Paul K-9 officer attacked by another's K-9 (June 30, 2005 / KMSP) "It was the talk of the police K-9 competition held in Moorhead this week... [Officer Mark] Ficcadenti heard a bark, turned, and the dog lunged through the opening and bit him in the face. Ficcadenti was rushed to the hospital where doctors surgically repaired his face. He's currently back in Minnesota recuperating.... What happened to Ficcadenti, who was considered a consummate professional, will probably now serve as a lesson to all K-9 cops. That even when it's a cops best friend, you can never completely let your guard down."

• Police Dog Attacks Officer Instead Of Suspect (June 16, 2005 / ABC) "...During the arrest, a Utah Highway Trooper's dog was ordered to attack ... but the K-9, as it is trained, went after the first target he saw moving, which happened to be a member of the SWAT team...."

• Court Puts Police Dogs On Shorter Leash (June 10, 2005 / Associated Press) " 'It makes it clear that the police use of drug dogs is an invasion of privacy unless there is some reason, at least reasonable suspicion, someone is involved in criminal activity,' said Assistant State Public Defender Marie Wolf. 'There are a lot of factual scenarios that could be very troubling to the average citizen -- a police officer taking a drug dog and walking the sidewalk and seeing at what house it alerts.' St. Paul police spokesman Paul Schnell said officers would alter their practices in response to the ruling...." The decision seeks to repair some of the damage to the 4th Amendment caused by Illinois vs. Caballes. (see articles under January 24 below)

• Civil Rights Suit Based On Police Officers’ Use Of Excessive Force Will Proceed Despite Victim’s Conviction (June 9, 2005 / Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard) This merits repeating as it is not an uncommon situation: even if an arrest results in a conviction, a civil rights lawsuit (e.g. concerning excessive force used during arrest) can subsequently be pursued; Follow-up: Federal judge urges Hemet to settle police dog bite case (July 12, 2005 / Associated Press)

• PSNI assault claims (June 6, 2005 / Daily Ireland) "...allegations against the PSNI include serious assault, use of batons, use of police dogs, criminal damage and sectarian abuse..."

• Police dog bites officer (June 3, 2005 / Canadian Press) "Redcliff RCMP Const. Joel Barrette had surgery Thursday to reattach part of his calf muscle torn off by Rocky, a Medicine Hat Police Service dog, earlier this week...."; Mountie bit by city police dog (June 2, 2005 / Calgary Herald) "A southern Alberta Mountie faces six weeks of recovery after being bit by a city police dog in Medicine Hat.... Barrette says the dog ignored orders by his handler -- a Medicine Hat police constable -- not to attack. RCMP spokesman Corporal Wayne Oakes says police dogs are not trained to tell the difference between a police officer and civilians." What does "telling the difference" have to do with it? A handler is responsible for the dog's actions regardless whether civilians or police officers are concerned. In making this statement, Cpl. Oakes is simply trying to deflect attention from the real issue: i.e. that the handler was not able to manage his own dog.

• Students losing freedoms (May 29, 2005 / Connecticut Post) "A junior high school in northern California pins radio identification tags on its students. New Jersey high school students must hand over a urine sample before trying out for band or earning parking privileges.... Police in Shelton and Oxford use a drug-sniffing dog to ferret out drugs and paraphernalia among students' possessions. And a bill is pending in the state Legislature that could lead to mandatory steroid testing for high school athletes. It's all done in the name of safety. But privacy rights advocates say schools are attacking constitutional freedoms without a proper airing in the public square...."

• Old Town High Conducts Drug Search (May 25, 2005 / Bangor Daily News) "Police used drug-detecting dogs Tuesday morning to sniff around students' vehicles at the Old Town High School parking lot, as school officials and police ramp up efforts to curb drug use at the school.... School officials have brought in police dogs to sniff out drugs in lockers four times in recent months, but this was the first time the specially trained canines were used to check student vehicles. Eight vehicles on Tuesday registered a positive hit with the dogs. As in past searches inside the school, police found no drugs after they obtained a warrant and searched the vehicles...." Eight "positive" hits, triggering search warrants -- but no illegal substances found. Should odorous smudges on a car door, left there by whom we don't know, necessarily warrant the full invasion of someone's privacy? Note, by the way, that commercially available marijuana scent is routinely used by K9 officers for training purposes (see: Commercially Marketed Marijuana Scent; Other scents...). Once again, we cannot ignore the expanded potential for abuse opened by the recent Illinois vs. Caballes decision. (see articles dated May 21, January 24 below) ; Another high-school car search item: Damage claim is rejected by SAU (May 27, 2005 / Rockingham News) "The SAU will not pay for damages to vehicles owned by five Timberlane Regional High School students who say police dogs scratched their cars during a random campus-wide drug search in April. School Administrative Unit 55 Business Administrator George Stokinger said the claims were rejected because of the unliklihood that any scratches were the result of the police canines.... Plaistow Master Patrolman Alec Porter, who is the handler of the Plaistow police canine Stryker, ...said the dog alerts the handler by barking or scratching at a scent, but the scratches could be buffed out very easily....."

• Talcum dog team leave red faces (May 21, 2005 / Weekend Australian) "...[Assistant Commissioner Paul] Evans admitted seven of the state's elite drug sniffer dogs had to be retrained after spending more than five months on Melbourne's streets unable to track cocaine because they were mistakenly trained to detect the drug with talcum powder. He said initial investigation had indicated the talcum powder may have been mislabelled as cocaine by police, but conceded that there may be a more sinister explanation...." This case also points towards a large loophole for K9 search abuse created by the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding canine sniff searches (see: Illinois vs. Caballes; January 24, 2005). In that decision, the court ruled that a canine sniff does not constitute a breach of privacy because it "compromises no legitimate privacy interest" (i.e. the possession of contraband is not a "legitimate privacy interest" under the Fourth Amendment). However this story reveals that a police K9 which is apparently identifying drugs might actually be detecting something which is entirely within the purview of "legitimate privacy interest".

• Beginning a dialogue on diversity (May 20, 2005 / Philadelphia Inquirer)"...On Monday, the State Human Relations Commission will address the use of police dogs at Truman High in October, the incident that sparked the state investigation and revealed racial tension between some black and white students. The commission convened a March 2 public hearing in the township where residents blasted the Police Department for allowing dogs in the school on the day when a brawl was rumored to be near. They said it evoked images of the South when dogs were used to turn away black students during the civil rights movement...."; Panel to discuss racial tension findings (May 24, 2005 / Bucks County Courier Times) "The commission decided to investigate the school district after the school board president and township police chief ordered police dogs into Harry S Truman High School ....In March, Kravcak apologized for sending police dogs into Truman when he spoke at the commission's town hall-style meeting...."; School board president steps down (June 14, 2005 / Buck County Courier Times)

• Police defend their dogs (May 12, 2005 / Evening Gazette) "Calls were made today for a review of police dog training after a string of alleged biting incidents on Teesside.... Carroll Slaney, of law firm Watson Woodhouse, said they were dealing with nine cases and warned that Cleveland Police could face more compensation claims unless the issue was addressed. 'I am concerned about the level of training for both the dogs and their handlers,' she said. 'I think their training needs to be reviewed.'...Mrs Slaney said more often than not those who were bitten were not running away from police at the time.... In recent years, the Cleveland force has paid out thousands of pounds in compensation to those who have sued over attacks by police dogs...."

• Abu Ghraib US colonel reprimanded (May 12, 2005 / BBC) "The US army found Col Thomas Pappas guilty of two counts of dereliction of duty, including that of allowing dogs to be present during interrogations...."

• Police dog retired after attacking teen (May 11, 2005 / WCNC) "... the canine officer let the dog, Remus, out of his cruiser for a break in a field. The canine officer ordered the dog back into the car when it lunged at another police officer forcing him to fire his gun in defense. The dog then ran up the street toward crowded porch and bit a 17-year-old boy in his leg...." (Yet again, it's "blame the dog" -- this time, as it appears, for neglecting to put on his own leash!)

• Liability costs up for city, county (May 5, 2005 / Sacramento Bee) "Whether it was negligence or not, it cost Sacramento County $1.5 million when a Sheriff's Department K-9 dog tore a 3-inch chunk of flesh and nerve from Jennifer Graham's calf five years ago...."

• Police K-9 Retired After Biting Odessa (April 28, 2005 / KMID) Yet again, the police seek to engineer things so that the dog takes the hit for a handler's criminally irresponsible behaviour...; OPD retires K-9 with history of bites (April 30, 2005 / Odessa American) "K-9 Flappy was retired last week after biting a 13-year-old boy who was in the dog’s backyard. It was the fourth incident in which Flappy used undo [sic] force.... On Feb. 19, Flappy bit the finger of a 9-year-old boy who put his hand inside the dog’s kennel in the 8600 block of Lamar. On April 20, while in the same backyard, the dog attacked a 13-year-old boy. The end of the 9-year-old’s finger was bitten off, his mother said. The dog bit a golf ball-sized hunk out of the back of the 13-year-old’s leg, according to police reports. The 13-year-old also sustained bites to his arm...."

• Failed police dog given therapy (April 27, 2005 / BBC) "Ben has stopped bullying his new family...."

• Police dog sacked for being too nice (April 26, 2005 / Daily Times) "Dog handler Bianca Mauermann, 29, from Dresden said the one-year-old dog, Falk, was just too nice to work for the police. 'It was a shock when I was told he was to be let go. But then he always was too nice and friendly.' "

• Officer bitten by police dog (April 24, 2005 / KTBS) "...Police say the canine was doing what it was trained to do...." ...but can the same be said about the handler?

• Man, 83, mauled by retired police dog, loses arm (April 21, 2005 / Tucson Citizen) "An 83-year-old Northwest Side man's arm has been amputated after he was attacked this week by a retired Pima County Sheriff's Department patrol dog.... [Sheriff Clarence W.] Dupnik said he would review his policy allowing deputies to keep retired patrol dogs that had been assigned to them.... 'The dogs are trained attack dogs. This could have happened to the same dog while he was in service.' Dupnik said he asked the Tucson Police Department to conduct an investigation...."; Retired patrol dog seriously hurts man, 83 (April 22, 2005 / Arizona Daily Star) "Speaking from his hospital room Thursday afternoon, [Alexander L. Dufour, 83] said he was very weak and that his right arm had been amputated. He declined to describe the attack itself, saying police advised him not to talk about it...." ; Ex-police dog's owner won't be prosecuted in biting incident (April 29, 2005 / Arizona Daily Star) "The County Attorney's Office had been asked to consider filing a felony charge against Deputy John Summey. But there was no evidence Summey knew the dog would attack and injure a person without provocation...." This is apparently not the first time Summey let his retired police dog out to terrorize the neighborhood. But Deputy County Attorney Kathleen Mayer explained that in the case of a 2001 biting citation, charges against Summey were dismissed because his dog Bronco "was provoked. Bronco wandered into the victim's yard and the resident started kicking at him to get him to leave, Mayer said...." (You have a trained attack dog that you want to let out for unsupervised strolls? No problem if you live in Tucson. And if the dog happens to rip into one of your neighbors? Relax; the dog is 'trained', so anyone can figure out that the citizen must have 'provoked' it. But what if it rips an arm off, and it emerges that the dog wasn't actually provoked? Quick, move to plan B: euthanasia! Because after all, if it wasn't the citizen's fault, then it must have been ... the dog's fault. Who else could possibly be to blame?); Man, 83, in rehab after dog attack (May 5, 2005 / Tucson Citizen) "This is going to change our life completely and his life, too," daughter-in-law Janet Dufour said yesterday. "He's right-handed and he lost his right arm at the elbow."

• Police dog bites girl’s breast (April 19, 2005 / The Monitor) "A police sniffer dog here, which was being used to control the crowd during the National Primary Schools Athletics Championship at the Municipal Stadium on Saturday, bit the breast of a young, innocent athlete from Wakiso district, sparking off protests from team officials...."

• Boy 'used as shield' against police dog (April 14, 2005 / New Zealand Herald) "...Officers set the dog on [the father], not knowing his son was present. Constable Mike Henderson said the man put the child between himself and the animal, perhaps thinking that the dog would not attack the boy. However, he was bitten on the leg. Constable Henderson said the man was also carrying a bucket full of cannabis, which he used to attack the dog..." Attacked with a "bucket full of cannabis" by a crazed P-freak who uses his own child as human-shield... or... demonized by a handler who released his dog without properly assessing the situation and is now trying to sidestep blame. Let's hope Hamilton District Court does a better job of digging up the facts than this New Zealand Herald reporter did.

• K-9 Dog Bites Woman Caught Between Police, Suspect (April 6, 2005 / Turnto10.com) "...It was a little bloody. I guess she has a couple holes in it like that. They had to hit the dog to get him off her. Apparently he wasn't obeying any of the commands or anything...."; Woman Seeking Damages For Police Dog Bite (April 12, 2005 / Westerly Sun)

• Ohio Police Urged to Work With Monitor (April 4, 2005 / AP) "...Among other things, the monitor has complained that police are not documenting in full detail all instances in which they stopped people or used pepper spray, dogs or stun guns.... U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott said the police officials were rude and disrespectful toward the staffer and were being obstructionist. Ultimately, the judge could fine or jail any city official who violates her order to cooperate.... The mayor argued that the city has made progress on many fronts, saying ... dog bites have been brought under control ...." So why the continued refusal to furnish full documentation?

• Woman bitten by police dog sues town (March 31, 2005 / AP) "...[Helen] Hanks' suit against Dempsey and the town of Montague alleges negligence in the training and control of the Dutch shepherd dog named Booker...."

• Harsh Tactics Were Allowed, General Told Jailers in Iraq (March 29, 2005) "...The memo allowed for military working dogs, or MWD, to be present during interrogations, saying the practice 'exploits Arab fear of dogs while maintaining security during interrogations'...." ; Extreme interrogation approved (March 30, 2005 / Guardian Unlimited); The Pentagon's Secret Stash: Why we'll never see the second round of Abu Ghraib photos (April 2005 / Reason Magazine) "...The images, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told Congress, depict 'acts that can only be described as blatantly sadistic, cruel, and inhuman.' After Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) viewed some of them in a classified briefing, he testified that his 'stomach gave out.' NBC News reported that they show 'American soldiers beating one prisoner almost to death, apparently raping a female prisoner, acting inappropriately with a dead body, and taping Iraqi guards raping young boys.' Everyone who saw the photographs and videos seemed to shudder openly when contemplating what the reaction would be when they eventually were made public...."
  

• Abusive acts against entrants are ignored, activists say (March 29, 2005 / Arizona Daily Star) "...In at least six reports taken by Cochise County Sheriff's Department deputies, illegal entrants have reported being kicked, shouted at, bitten by dogs and had guns pointed at them - yet there's never been a single Cochise County resident prosecuted in these cases. Human-rights activists say it's because there's a culture of looking the other way when it comes to illegal-entrant abuse...."; see Vigilante Violence (2005 / Southern Poverty Law Center) for documentation on such incidents, including some involving the use of attack dogs against border-crossers by vigilantes.

• Police dog bite terror (March 19, 2005 / Evening Gazette) "...Carroll Slaney, of Watson Woodhouse Solicitors, said: 'When I was shown photographs of the injuries to this young man, who may now be scarred for life, I was disturbed.' A Cleveland Police spokesman said: 'In view of the threat of legal action it would be inappropriate to comment at this present time....' "

• B.C. man awarded damages for police-dog bites to groin, abdomen (March 16, 2005 / National Post) "...the officer said as he was approaching Mr. Sam ... he slipped -- which was why the dog got a chance to lunge at Mr. Sam." This is the handler's excuse for brutal assault -- he slipped? The information in the press clipping is scant, but one would hope that charges against the negligent handler will be pursued.

• Police charged with beating Freud the dog (Feb. 24, 2005 / Pretoria News) "It is alleged [two policemen] hit a three-year-old Rottweiler, Freud, so violently with a sjambok during a training session in June last year that he died soon afterwards. According to the charge sheet, he was also allegedly hit with a steel pipe...."; Police dog 'beaten to death' (August 3, 2005 / News 24) "...On June 15 that year Freud failed to pick up a teddy bear, as instructed.... The inspector then hit the dog until it was unable to move.... Freud died that same day...."

• Police dog sinks teeth into innocent man (Feb. 16, 2005 / New Zealand Herald) "A police dog and its handler have been withdrawn from duty after an attack left a Tauranga man with more than 20 stitches to his leg...."

• Private company rents out drug-sniffing dog (Feb. 2, 2005 / CBC) "Russ Rathy and his wife paid $20,000 for the trained German shepherd to launch their business, called Crusader Resources.... Rathy thinks businesses might want to rent out Alis Vicona, who's two and a half years old, to run its nose over their premises...." This news item has sparked heated debate in Saskatchewan where many people are arguing that such a service invites situations where workers can be framed through the malicious planting of illicit drugs around their worksite. This possibility was highlighted last year in a well-publicized case at a Michigan high school: Asst. Principal Admits Planting Evidence (Feb. 20, 2004 / AP).

• Police Investigate Why Their Dog Bit Wrong Man (Jan. 31, 2005 / WCJB) "Last Friday afternoon, 22-year-old Corey King was minding his own business in a Northeast Ocala neighborhood, when a police canine attacked him instead of the man it was supposed to be chasing. King was treated for his wounds, including a deep gash in his forearm, and ever since the incident occurred, authorities have been looking into what went wrong...."

• Illinois v. Caballes (January 24, 2005 / U.S. Supreme Court); Various commentary: Illinois v. Caballes: Ginsburg, J., dissenting "Under today’s decision, every traffic stop could become an occasion to call in the dogs, to the distress and embarrassment of the law-abiding population. The Illinois Supreme Court, it seems to me, correctly apprehended the danger in allowing the police to search for contraband despite the absence of cause to suspect its presence. Today’s decision, in contrast, clears the way for suspicionless, dog-accompanied drug sweeps of parked cars along sidewalks and in parking lots...."; Liberate Drug Dogs "Caballes holds that cops can take dogs fishing. Caballes involved a legitimate traffic stop. Dog-fishing in parking lots or on sidewalks should still be opposed. Random drug checkpoints have already been found unconstitutional by the Court. Any case that lacks a videotape of the dog on the scene should result in rejection of testimony that the dog alerted, or did so without cueing. Drug dogs are used so that humans can lie....";Fighting Illinois vs. Caballes; A Fourth Amendment for the 21st Century

• St. Albans police dogs’ safety questioned (Jan. 19, 2005 / Charleston Gazette) "...Councilman Jerry Hicks said he was concerned the dog’s handler, Sgt. Mike Matthews, had taken the animal off its leash. Mayor Richard Milam said it was customary to take the police dogs off their leash when conducting investigations.... Hicks said he was concerned that a police dog off a leash who could not hear commands could present a danger to innocent people...."

• UNH student files complaint against police (Jan. 11, 2005 / Foster's Daily Democrat) "...[Alex] Klotz was walking at the back of a large crowd of students, as police herded them down Main Street around midnight Oct. 28. He said a police dog initially bit him in the buttocks as he was walking with the crowd. When he turned to speak with the officer, asking the handler to control his dog [, t]he dog then bit him again, on the leg, and it was captured in a series of photos by Foster’s photographer Aaron Rohde. Klotz said he asked for the officer’s name and the officer, who had no name tag visible, refused to identify himself...." For background on this incident (plus photos), see articles under Oct. 28, 2004 (in the 2004 archives). Updates: State rebuts motions to dismiss case against Foster’s Daily Democrat photographer (Jan. 19, 2005 / Foster's Daily Democrat); Resolution proposed in Durham photog arrest case (Feb. 2, 2005 / Foster's Daily Democrat); Charges against Foster's photographer 'put on file' (Feb. 18, 2005; Foster's Daily Democrat) "...'This agreement leaves it that Aaron is innocent of the charges,” [Foster’s Daily Democrat Executive Editor Rodney G.] Doherty said, “and that’s what we wanted. We believe we had a strong case and that we would have prevailed if the case went to trial. But...'." (...but the further pursuit of justice might rock the political boat...)

• Use of police dogs to subdue Margate man prompts inquiry, suit (Jan. 8, 2005 / South Florida Sun Sentinel) "...A car dealership's security camera captured Barton's arrest in the 100 block of NW 12th Avenue in Deerfield Beach. His criminal defense attorney played the video for the media Friday. The footage shows two dogs going into Barton's Toyota MR2 after the vehicle breaks down. Once he's out of the car and chest-down on the pavement, one of the dogs stays on top of him and a third dog clamps down on the woodworker's left Achilles tendon. It appears a dog then tears away a chunk of flesh from Barton's right arm...."

• Palo Alto reviews police dog bites (Jan. 7, 2005 / Mercury News) "...African-Americans make up only 2 percent of the city's population but represent 38 percent of the people bitten by police dogs. According to 2000 census figures, Palo Alto is 76 percent white, but only four of the 13 people bitten were white. The others were five African-Americans, three Latinos and one Pacific Islander...."

• Click here for police dog abuse archives from 2004

Note: The creation of this website is motivated by a concern for social justice, not a dislike for dogs. I know what it is to become best buddies with a dog, and this relationship can be just as precious as a human-to-human one. But trust can be abused, which is exactly what happens when canine officers use their dogs as responsibility buffers in order to direct violence with impunity. Typically, when a police department senses K9-related trouble, the strategy is to "blame the dog" with claims that the animal panicked, overreacted, miscalculated, or somehow "lost it". In serious cases, police departments will even resort to preemptive euthanasia in order to divert public condemnation away from the humans who are ultimately responsible for K9 policies and control. Meanwhile, although victims of police dog abuse are routinely awarded large civil liability claims, those who are ultimately responsible for police dog abuse almost always escape criminal responsibility for their actions.

Links to additional reports which people wish to suggest for inclusion in this archive can be sent to Eric Squire at: g8alert@yahoo.com