Dog handler caught on camera bitten by dog

The Fayetteville Police Department released details Friday of an internal investigation that found a K-9 officer struck his dog seven times after it bit him. A video of the incident sparked public outrage when it circulated on social media.

Although the police department said the investigation into the incident was complete, the results were unclear.

The video shows a K-9 officer and his dog fighting in a parking lot. At one point in the video, the dog, which the officer is leading to a patrol vehicle with the animal attached by its collar, attempts to bite the officer’s leg. The officer then clamps his hand on the dog’s muzzle and, after lifting the dog up by holding its paws in the air, continues toward the patrol car just as the video ends.

The Fayetteville Police Department said Friday that the K-9 team was tasked with conducting an external “search” of a motor vehicle that had been lawfully stopped. During the search, the dog alerted the handler to something on the passenger side of the vehicle, according to a news release.

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The handler ordered his dog to search the driver’s side of the vehicle and, after the handler gave corrective commands, the dog circled behind the handler and bit him on the thigh without letting go, the release said.

The handler’s attempts to use verbal commands and collar manipulation techniques to correct his dog’s behavior failed to prevent it from breaking free, police said, leading the officer to strike the animal multiple times 10 to 12 seconds after being bitten.

The dog eventually released its owner after the owner struck it a seventh and final time. The owner maintained control of the animal by using his collar to lift the dog off the ground and away from his body, the statement said.

According to police, the dog continued to try to bite the owner, prompting the officer to place his hand on the animal’s muzzle.

The incident finally ended when the handler placed the animal in its kennel and gave it the command to sit, which the dog complied with, police said.

The officer received medical treatment for injuries sustained in the incident, the statement said. A veterinarian said the dog had no documented injuries following the incident, the statement said.

Police response

The police department acknowledged public concern about the video on social media and responded to it in the statement.

“While we understand the concerns of the public and animal welfare organizations, this incident was handled in accordance with due process and the rights afforded to those involved, as provided by department policy and the law,” the statement said. “The internal investigation is complete and the Fayetteville Police Department is prepared to release the following FACTS of the incident.”

The police department said the video circulating on social media does not depict the entire situation.

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Statements from the officer who requested the canine team, the handler and an independent witness were all provided during the investigation into the incident, the statement said. Police said three recordings of the incident by law enforcement were generated by two body cameras and a dash cam in the car.

The incident was reviewed by the police department’s “dog handler” and two other individuals with the same accreditation, and the training records of the dog and handler were reviewed by the International Police Working Dog Association and legal counsel, the statement said.

The names of the animal and the canine officer involved in the incident have not been released. The police department did not immediately respond Friday when asked if the officer had been reassigned or if the dog would continue to serve on the canine team.

Public safety reporter Joseph Pierre can be reached at [email protected]..