ST. PAUL, Minn. (WHDH) – Police body cameras captured the moment an innocent woman was attacked by a police K-9, who was on the hunt for a suspected burglar.
According to Fox 9, body cam footage shows Desiree Collins taking out her garbage on Sept. 23 when the police K-9 clamped down on her right arm. Officers were seen and heard attempting to get the dog off Collins’ arm, but the K-9 would not let go after multiple commands.
“The entire incident is shocking and unacceptable,” said one of Collins’ attorneys, Andrew Noel. “The video speaks for herself — she was terrified.”
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The K-9 was eventually taken away from the victim, and the officers can be heard apologizing to her.
However, Fox 9 reports Collins has now filed a suit in federal court against the department. The suit includes compensation for damages stemming from the incident, arguing that the officer’s leash on the dog was too long.
“My heart breaks when I watch this video,” St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell said to Fox 9. “What we can do is apologize and take responsibility, offer support and compassion, and learn from the incident so we can continue to work to prevent it from happening to anyone else.”
Police spokesperson Steve Linders said that both the officer and his K-9 have been sent to training for another month before returning to duty.
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