Dog bit K-9 handler in thigh, Fayetteville officer hit dog 7 times, report says
A Fayetteville Police Department K-9 handler struck his dog seven times after the dog bit him in a thigh, according to a police investigation.
The report released Friday comes almost two weeks after a June 23 incident between the handler and K-9 was captured on video.
The video posted to social media is about 12 seconds long. It shows a Fayetteville police officer punching his Belgian Malinois at least three times at a traffic stop. As the officer tries to take the K-9 back to his patrol car, it looks like the dog sniped at him. That’s when he grabbed the K-9 by his snout and lifts him off the ground.
The Fayetteville Police Department received numerous complaints about the video.
On Friday, police said the complaints were "heard and documented," adding "the video released to social media does not depict the entirety of the incident." The Fayetteville Police Department also refrained from any public comment until the incident was investigated.
According to a report released Friday, a veterinarian examined the K9 after the incident and found no injuries. The K9 handler was injured and received treatment, according to police.
The video was recorded at a traffic stop, when the K9 handler and K9 conducted an external "sniff" of a car that was legally stopped, police said.
According to the report, "The K9 jumped onto the driver’s side door and the handler gave corrective commands." Next, the "K9 came off the violator’s vehicle, circled behind the handler and bit him in the thigh."
Police said the handler gave verbal commands, and when the K9 did not release the bite, the handler attempted to control the dog by its collar.
The report reads, "After 10 to 12 seconds of being bitten the Handler strikes the K9 with his fist a total of seven times." The K9 released the bite after the seventh strike, and no additional strikes were delivered, according to police.
To control the K9, the handler took the K9 by the collar, "elevating it off the ground and away from his body."
Police said the K9 attempted to bite the handler again, and the handler clamped his hand over the K9’s muzzle. The K9 was placed into its kennel and given command to sit.
The Fayetteville Police Department said their internal investigation into the incident has concluded but did not state what, if any, action was taken regarding the officer or the K-9.
The investigation included video from two body-worn cameras and one in-car camera offering different perspectives and statements from an independent witness, the handler involved and other officers.
The incident was reviewed by three independent external “master handlers” from North Carolina agencies and by the International Police Working Dog Association (IPWDA), in addition to the Fayetteville Police Department's legal counsel.
