A police officer was left seriously injured after being mauled by a police dog released by a colleague. The officer was left requiring surgery after being attacked as he was trying to apprehend a suspected car thief in the early hours of Tuesday.
The officer had been trying to capture the suspect on foot after he abandoned a stolen car near an alleyway following a ten-mile car chase. But when he returned to the vehicle to check for any other passengers he was set upon by a police dog released by its handler.
West Midlands Police has now launched an investigation as their officer remains in hospital. A force spokesperson said: "One of our traffic officers was bitten by a police dog from our West Midlands Police Dog Unit following the pursuit of a stolen car which started in the Cannock area of Staffordshire and ended in Leighs Road, Shelfield.
"A stinger was deployed and the vehicle was stopped. The officer got out of the vehicle to give chase to a man who ran from the car and was bitten.
"No arrests were made. The officer was quickly rushed to hospital where he received treatment for cuts and bites received in the attack.
"The officer was taken to hospital after sustaining cuts to his upper left. He underwent surgery and is currently in hospital. Our Professional Standards Department has been informed of the incident and as with all dog bites, an internal investigation will take place."
Dad-of-one John Davies, 49, who lives in the street, said he was was woken up by the commotion at 1.22am. John, who works as a sales assistant, added: “We were in bed and heard the sirens blazing up the road.
“We got up to have a look what was happening and we could see someone on the ground with a police dog attached to him. They were shouting 'get this dog off' over and over and we just assumed it was the criminal who the dog had a hold of.
“About a minute later the dog handler came and got the dog off but it was only when we looked back at the CCTV we realised it wasn’t the criminal, it was a police officer. We could see the dog but not where it had a hold of the officer, but we think it was on his leg.
“He must have been in pain, he was screaming out. I think the dog must have just been released a bit too early and the police officer got in the way of the dog getting the criminal.
"You can see the guy get away and run up the alley, then the police officer returned to the vehicle and was attacked by the police dog. Luckily it wasn't a passing pedestrian.
“It was a lot of effort to try and get the guy, there were about 10 police cars on the estate and a helicopter. So it was a lot of effort for nothing in the end.”
A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service added: "We were called to a medical incident at the junction of Leighs Road and Mill Road in Pelsall, Walsall. One ambulance was sent to the scene where, on arrival, crews found one male patient with serious injuries.
"He was treated by ambulance staff at the scene before being taken to hospital for further treatment."
