Police officers in Ohio entered a man's home at the invitation of the man's wife, who was not sure whether the man was inside. She had seen that the back door was unlocked, and therefore asked the officers to check whether he was there.
The man had gone to bed -- it was after 10 PM -- and he was upstairs, sleeping. When he heard officers talking downstairs, he walked to the top landing, still in his pajamas, and properly identified himself to the officers.
And then was attacked by the police dog! The officer in charge of the dog could not control it, and the man was injured.
He gave me permission to share his story on the Dog Bite Victim Log.
Around 10pm last night, I was bitten by a police dog in my home. I had gone to sleep after watching a movie. My wife was working late. When she got home she was disturbed at finding the back door unlocked. She was uncertain about my schedule (I have been working out of town, sometimes late). To be on the safe side she went across the street to use the neighbor's phone and called the police. When they arrived she told them of the situation and advised them that I might well be home but that she was afraid to enter. She told me, later, that she had been listening all day and on the way home to a news report of an elderly man being abducted in his own home, taped into a chair, pistol-whipped and robbed of $1000. This took place near our home. You know how women can get!
The police arrive with a K-9 unit. My wife wants to enter with the police and they tell her no. I am awoken by unusual sounds. I hear muffled loud talking. Then there's a clumping sound on the steps. I'm thinking she might have brought over a couple of the grandkids. I get up and walk toward the hall and top of the steps when a fairly large German Shepherd darts into my room turns, around right in front of me then shoots into the bathroom. I continue toward the top of the steps and the dog emerges from the bathroom. I then notice the Police vest on the dog. By now I'm fully awake and thoroughly confused.
I'm at the top of the steps with the dog standing beside me. I look down the steps and see a police officer. I ask what's going on and he asks if I live here. (The sound of his voice, aggressive, confrontational, put the dog in the attack mode.) I say yes and the dog attacks. I scream in pain, the cop yells "Out" and the dog takes another bite. I scream in protest, cop yells "Out" again and the dog continues to shred and rip my pajamas off me and bite my right thigh.
I can't remember if the dog finally went down the steps or if the cop came up and got him. I went and covered my naked butt and went downstairs to listen to the police telling each other how they followed procedure and how I hadn't responded to their "Three warning calls." (My God, I was sleeping!) I had to wait to meet the shift supervisor and be photographed before I could go to the hospital.
I took photos of my injuries myself, spent the next several hours at the emergency room and now I'm up writing this because I can't sleep. I need help. I can't afford this. My wife and I are having a hard time financially and now I have prescriptions for antibiotics, pain medication and soon an emergency room visit, for none of which have we the money.
