No charges for police where man was injured by police dog bite
The man, 45, entered a home through the window, then hid from police inside
No charges will be laid in a case where a Windsor Police dog bit a 45-year-old man, resulting in permanent damage and disfigurement to his arm, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has determined.
In February last year, a man was seen entering a York Street home through a window by a neighbour. That neighbour called 911 and police attended to the scene with a canine unit.
When the man did not respond to officers calling out for him, the SIU report says police "forcefully entered the residence" in order to arrest the man for breaking-and-entering.
The police service dog was eventually deployed when the man did not show himself once officers were inside the home.
The man had to be taken to hospital after the dog bit him, resulting in "seven deep puncture wounds," "superficial claw marks," and "multiple lacerations," the report says.
It turned out the homeowner had given permission for the man to enter the home and was not charged for breaking-and-entering. However, he was arrested and held on outstanding arrest warrants, the report says.
The director of the SIU, Tony Loparco, said in the decision the officer who deployed dog did not use excessive force.
Had the man "simply come forward and identified himself and the homeowner," there wouldn't have been any need for the deployment of the police dog, said Loparco.
