The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has cleared a Calgary police officer whose service dog attacked a nine-year-old girl, causing serious injuries. The watchdog described the incident as a 'confluence of errors' but found no reasonable grounds to believe an offense was committed.
Incident Details
The event occurred on February 12, 2025, when the officer unleashed his service dog to pursue a man suspected of stealing a vehicle. The suspect fled into a backyard, but the dog lost track and entered a neighborhood park, where the girl was playing with a friend.
According to the ASIRT report, the dog initially ran past the girl but then chased her after she began running. The canine pounced, biting her backpack and hair, and then her leg. The girl screamed for help as the officer shouted commands for the dog to release. The dog only let go when the officer physically intervened.
Injuries Sustained
The girl suffered three deep puncture wounds on her right thigh, two puncture wounds on the underside of her thigh, a cut at her hairline, and abrasions on her shin and cheek. The facial injuries were attributed to falling on snow.
After the attack, another officer carried the girl to a police vehicle, and an ambulance transported her to a hospital. She was sedated for wound cleaning and later discharged with antibiotics.
Officer's Account
The officer stated he did not believe any external factors hindered his communication with the dog. He explained that service dogs are trained to treat running individuals as non-compliant, and the dog may have mistaken the girl for an offender. He noted the dog did not apprehend the suspect because the man was out of sight by the time the dog reached the backyard.
The officer also addressed a limp observed in helicopter footage, attributing it to a knee replacement but insisting it did not affect his performance.
ASIRT Conclusion
ASIRT determined that while the incident was tragic, there were no reasonable grounds to believe the officer committed an offense. The watchdog emphasized that the situation arose from a series of unfortunate errors rather than misconduct.
