Schoolboy left scarred for life by POLICE DOG attack
A SCHOOLBOY has been scarred for life after he was mauled by a police dog which was supposed to be chasing a wanted suspect.
Fletcher Porritt was attacked by a police dog outside his house
Fletcher Porritt was walking back to his house from a nearby park when the German shepherd chased him and sunk its teeth in his shoulder.
The 10-year-old was left with an open wound to his front and lacerations to his back.
His father Gary Porritt, from Billingham, Teesside, said: “Fletcher was on his own just a few yards away from our house after he’d been playing with his friends in the park.
“He saw a big dog running towards him and he thought it was one of the local dogs that had got loose – there’s a German shepherd that lives just round the corner from us.
The boy was left with an open wound to his front and lacerations to his back
The dog bit into Fletcher's shoulder and dragged him to the floor
“Fletcher made a run for a fence so he could climb over it but before he got there the dog bit into his shoulder and dragged him to the floor.”
Fletcher found himself wrestling with the police dog before the police handler arrived and was able to get the dog off him and take the youngster to hospital.
The dog was supposed to be chasing a man who had fled from a car after crashing it into a garden.
The suspect was not located but the abandoned vehicle was seized by police.
The dog was supposed to be chasing a man who had crashed a car
Gary said: “This happened at 8:10pm not in the middle of the night.
“The dog is supposed to be trained. Why was it off its lead?
“There are still a lot of people around at that time of night and if the police dog isn’t trained properly, it shouldn’t be allowed to chase people in a crowded area.”
Police said the dog has now been suspended from operations
Superintendent Steve Jermy, of Cleveland Police, said the force deeply regretted the incident.
He said: “Our thoughts are with the child and wish him a full and speedy recovery from his injuries.
“The dog has been removed from operational duties whilst an investigation takes place and the matter has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission – which is mandatory in these circumstances.”