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Home / Outcomes / 2022 Summaries of Police Investigations

Man bitten by Police dog in Wellington

23 August 2022

The Authority oversaw a Police investigation where a serious dog bite was sustained by a man in Wellington.

A Police dog handler and his Police dog were walking in front of a handcuffed man while he was being escorted to the patrol car. The path was blocked for the officer and his dog, which meant they had to turn and double back past the man. As they did this, another officer was attempting to place the man into the patrol car. The man kicked out at the dog handler and his dog as they walked by, which caused the dog to react and bite the man on his leg.

Police identified and implemented lessons learnt regarding dog handler’s ensuring their path is clear and leaving adequate space around aggressive offenders to avoid similar instances occurring in the future.

The Authority agreed with the Police investigations, findings, and outcome.

IPCA: 22-10359

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