The Associated Press
LAYTON, Utah (AP) - A Layton police officer whose police dog attacked a jogger could be cited for not having the dog on a leash, the city attorney’s office said.
Assistant City Attorney Steve Garside said police are held at the same standards, “if not higher,” as residents.
Police Lt. Kevin Allred said the officer and the German shepherd, Rex, were jogging around Layton High School’s track at 6:50 a.m. Saturday.
“Each time they went around the track, the dog would go over into the trees, and he kept going over there,” Allred said.
Dogs are allowed on the track as long as they are on a leash, according to signs posted at the track.
After several laps, the officer decided to investigate what was bothering the dog and went with the dog into the pine trees on the southeast side.
As he was looking, he heard a woman screaming, Allred said.
“I was jogging around the Layton track at a quarter to 7 behind the cop and a dog. They went into the trees. I had my headphones on and the next thing I know, the dog is attacking me. He was jumping up and biting me,” Lindsey McKee, 20, said.
McKee said the dog ripped her clothes, bit her on the hip and bruised and scratched her.
The police handler came out of the trees and yelled at the dog, but had to come over and physically “yank him by the collar to get him off me,” she said.
The police officer told her that it was the first time he ever took Rex off a leash at the track and that she “may have startled him,” she said. “I don’t know. I have no clue.”
Joggers are at the track every Saturday morning, McKee said.
“It’s just stupid to think no one is going to be there, even though he thinks his dog is not dangerous,” she said.
Police Sgt. Pete Davis was called to investigate the incident, and met her at the hospital, where she had gone to get a tetanus shot.
“He’s really cool. He kept saying he felt so bad this happened,” McKee said.
Allred said Rex, who has been with the department for four years, is out of service until the investigation is completed. Officers are trying to determine if the handler did something wrong or if Rex needs more training.
Police believe Rex was cued up to investigate and when his handler went into the trees to see what was wrong, the dog spotted McKee and thought she was running from the scene.