Brazil, IN – An unidentified 5th grade boy was attacked by a police dog during a staged raid at a recent drug awareness event. All the boy did was hold the real drugs one of the officers handed to him.
The 11-year-old has been treated for minor injuries after a K-9 dog bit him in the left calf at the Red Ribbon Awareness week kick-off event at the Clay County Courthouse Thursday, authorities said. The K-9 unit’s handler, Ray Walters, said that the student had been transported to a local hospital for treatment immediately after the incident.
“It was an unfortunate accident,” Police Chief Clint McQueen told the Brazil Times . “Wish it hadn’t happened like that but it did. We are trying to evaluate (the incident) to make sure nothing like this happens again.”
The officer and his K-9 partner Max were brought in to carry out the simulated raid along with a group of actors in order to help “educate the Clay County fifth-graders on drug awareness.” The unidentified 5th grader had met with officers prior to the start of the simulation.
A very small amount of illegal drugs were hidden on his person in order to show that the K-9s can find extremely small traces of illegal substances. The 5th grader in question was injured during one of four planned scenarios, performed “under exclusive control and supervision of members of the court and law enforcement.”
“As I got closer to the actors, Max began searching the juveniles,” according to the officer’s report. “The first male juvenile began moving his legs around as Max searched him. When the male began moving his legs, (this is what) I believe prompted Max’s action to bite the male juvenile on the left calf.”
This resulted in what authorities called “minor” puncture wounds in the boy’s leg.
McQueen followed the boy to the hospital and spoke to his mother, who was understanding of the incident.
“(The mother) was very calm and polite,” the officer’s reported stated. “She asked me what had happened and I explained exactly as I have here in my report. She replied with ‘it’s OK, accidents happen.’ She stated that her son was very tough and everything would be fine.”
Watch a video report on the story below:
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