Botched K-9 Reinstatement: Homeless Woman Mistakenly Attacked

Police dogPhoto byMarisa TeruelonUnsplash

A Gainesville Police K-9 Team that was reinstated after a 10 month hiatus was looking for a domestic violence suspect and ended up attacking a homeless woman by mistake. Officers found a woman who seemed to be hiding in some bushes. "They attempted to give verbal warnings but were met with no response. The K-9 handler then instructed the dog to attack."

The team was out of service following another incident, where Terrell Bradley lost his eye in a K-9 mauling after he fled a traffic stop.

The homeless woman, whose name was not given, was then transported to the hospital for bite wounds to her calf and thumb after police realized she was not the suspect. Gainesville Fire Rescue will follow up with the woman for support.

The most obvious analysis of the incident is that, even though a domestic violence call is always fraught with danger, the first reaction should not be to have the dog attack a peson who is not moving or threatening officers. Apparently there is no command to guard or hold a person in place till an officer can approach.

This could have been anyone in Gainesville.

AttackPhoto byJason JarrachonUnsplash