Boy’s Family Suing Sheriff’s Office After Dog Attack
A dog attack can cause serious injuries to a person, even to a teen boy. Some police officers overuse their power. They abuse the use of their K-9 units and use them to attack others.
This happened in May 2023. A deputy from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office allegedly allowed a K-9 to attack a boy who was on the ground for over a minute. The boy’s family is now suing the sheriff’s office, claiming that the deputy didn’t even attempt to pull off the dog even after the teenager was handcuffed.
The incident occurred when a Lyft driver went to do a pickup and encountered six teenagers — three boys and three girls. Because his vehicle couldn’t fit all the passengers, he cancelled the ride.
As the driver turned his car around to leave, two teen boys threw rocks at his vehicle. When the driver exited his car, the teens then assaulted him. A third teen got into the man’s car, drove it a short distance, and crashed into a street sign.
That 17-year-old boy jumped out of the car and ran away. The deputy and a K-9 went to find the suspect.
The deputy’s body camera video shows the canine partner, Roy, a Belgian Malinois-German Shepherd mix that the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office obtained 15 months earlier. Roy specializes in the detection of narcotics.
The deputy is following standard protocol as the search for the suspect begins. When you’re searching for an unknown, you have to treat everybody as though they’re armed. There is also the possibility that the dog can injure a suspect or civilian.
Three minutes into the search, the dog finds the teen suspect near a fence. The deputy yelled at the boy to put his hands up as the dog grabbed onto his leg.
The teen begged for the deputy to get the dog off, but the dog did not release him until a minute later. Another deputy is standing nearby with a flashlight, gun, and taser. The boy holds up his hands and tries to surrender.
The teen is still yelling and begging for the dog to get off, but the deputy does not give the dog a release command. The boy is finally handcuffed a minute into the encounter and Roy still has not released.
The dog bite ruptured a femoral artery and the deputies quickly put a tourniquet on the teen’s leg. That tourniquet more than likely saved his life.
The teen was rushed to the hospital. He pled guilty in juvenile court and takes responsibility for his actions. Roderick underwent multiple surgeries and ended up with $250,000 in medical expenses. He is in pain daily.
Contact Us Today
Dog bites can cause pain, scarring, disfigurement, and other long-term injuries. Whether or not the teen in this committed a crime, he should not have been subject to such an attack.
A Bradenton dog bite lawyer from Cahall Law Firm can help you recover much-needed compensation after a dog attack. Call (941) 281-2019 or fill out the online form to schedule a consultation.
Source:
abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/i-team-investigates/family-sues-florida-sheriff-after-k9-critically-injures-teenager
