The Associated Press
MERIDEN, Conn. (AP) -- A dog that had been part of the Meriden police department’s canine unit has been cut from the force after biting a police officer.
Chief William C. Abbatematteo cited safety as a factor in the decision to retire Kemo, the dog in question.
On Dec. 23, Kemo, a German shepherd, bit Officer Jamie Sanders on his left leg as Sanders left the police station after his shift.
Police could not determine what caused the dog to bite Sanders.
Kemo’s handler, Officer Timothy Connolly, had been exercising Kemo in the back parking lot of the police station when Sanders approached.
Sanders needed 25 stitches and has been getting around on crutches. He has been off duty since the attack.
The 4 1/2-year-old dog, with the department for nearly two years, had graduated from hundreds of hours of training for patrol and narcotics detection.