Law enforcement canine allegedly inflicts severe head injury on female individual
In the city of Hattingen, a police officer is scheduled to stand trial. The cause? His German Shepherd dog viciously assaulted a woman, leaving her with grievous head wounds. It was reported that the canine had demonstrated aggression in the past.
A police officer from Hattingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, is preparing to confront the local judicial system, facing charges of reckless bodily harm. The female victim was reportedly bitten so severely by the dog that a large portion of her scalp was torn away.
The officer is accused of leading his dog on an overly long leash and disregarding the animal's previously documented aggressive behavior, as asserted by Christian Amann, director of the Hattingen court. The dog allegedly displayed signs of hostility towards its handler shortly before the attack, but this was not reported to the appropriate authorities.
The officer was reportedly taking his Belgian Shepherd for a walk in his leisure time, on a three-meter leash, at the end of September 2023, when the incident occurred in a parking lot. The prosecution argues that the length of the leash was inappropriate for the situation, which was not well-surveyed. The dog first attacked the woman, who was holding an open car door, on her arm.
Grievous Injuries
The prosecution speculates that the dog might have misunderstood the woman's arm movements as an attack and initiated the attack on her arm, as per its training. Subsequently, the dog bit into the woman's head as she lay on the ground. The injuries were grave, necessitating a skin graft, as stated by the court director.
The prosecution also mentioned other animals in the area, which had reportedly shown similar signs of aggression, shedding light on the possibility of the dog's behavior being influenced by its surroundings. It was not just the officer's dog that posed a threat; other animals in the city, like stray dogs or wild animals, had proven to be dangerous as well.
Additionally, the judge presiding over the case emphasized the importance of responsible pet ownership, reminding the public that such incidents could be prevented by properly training and controlling animals, particularly when they exhibited signs of aggression, not just German Shepherds or Belgian Shepherds, but any other animals as well.
