The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is Investigating Why Recon of The Canine Unit Would Repeatedly Bite a Beaverton Boy, Who Needed 187 Stitches
By Holly Danks, OregonLive.com
HILLSBORO, Oregon -- An off-duty police dog’s attack on a 12-year-old boy who needed nearly 200 stitches to close wounds on his face, head and upper body is under investigation by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Tyler Cox was bitten repeatedly Nov. 5 in his Beaverton home by Recon, a German shepherd that has been a sheriff’s office dog for about a year.
Deputy Charles Irving, the dog’s handler, is a friend of Tyler’s mother, Kelly Cox, who also is a deputy. On the night of the attack, Irving and Kelly Cox left the dog alone with the boy; his 10-year-old brother, Austin; and 16-year-old sister, Jordan.
Ron Cox, who is divorced from Kelly Cox, said the boy needed 21/2 hours of surgery and 187 stitches to mend a 3-inch gash on his right cheek near his eye, a 2-inch gash under his left arm and a cut above his left ear.
“This was an accident,” Sheriff Rob Gordon said Wednesday. “There is no reason to believe the dog is a threat to the public.”
Gordon said he doesn’t plan to change the agency’s current canine unit policies. The dogs are used to promote public relations at schools and community events, where children often flock to them.
Sandy James, sheriff’s spokeswoman, said the dog would not return to patrol unless it is cleared by a review. The victim, witnesses and others involved are being interviewed to determine whether the attack was provoked.
The sheriff’s office does not allow deputies who are involved in a review to speak with the media.
Susan Field, spokeswoman for Washington County Animal Services, said the dog was quarantined until Tuesday because its rabies shots expired Oct. 16. James said the dog is living with the canine unit’s supervisor, not with Irving.
Ron Cox said his children grew up around dogs, love animals and hadn’t had a problem with Recon at their house in the past. Since the attack, he said Tyler doesn’t want to be around dogs, “doesn’t want to sleep alone” and didn’t want to return to Five Oaks Middle School this week because of the scars on his face.
“He’s traumatized,” Cox said. “He’s not doing well at all.”
Specifics of the incident remain at issue. Cox’s version of what led to the attack differs from that offered by the sheriff’s office.
Cox said Tyler saw Recon in a bedroom and was attacked when he tried to pet it.
“The dog bared its teeth,” Cox said. “Tyler backed away slowly, and the dog came after him.”
Cox’s daughter pulled Recon off Tyler’s arm and called 9-1-1.
“If the deputy had left a loaded .44-Magnum on the kitchen counter, it would be a safer situation than this,” Cox said. “A .44-Magnum can’t act on its own.”
James said she can’t give many details because the case is under review and may lead to a lawsuit. But according to police reports, Irving left the dog in a kennel in the home’s garage and one of the children let it out.
Tyler “was lying on the dog kind of like (the animal was) a pillow, and the dog took exception to that,” James said.
According to sheriff’s office K-9 unit policy, deputies are to keep dogs locked in a home kennel or in a fenced area when off duty.
James said all the dogs in the sheriff’s canine unit go through 400 hours of training that includes socialization with children and other members of the public before they are put on the street.
Sheriff’s deputies have used dogs for search-and-rescue and drug tracking since 1993. They make about 100 captures a year, sometimes by “biting the bad guy,” James said.
“There has never been a problem with this dog or any of our dogs,” she said.