A police officer in Montana had to take the life of a K-9 from a different department after the dog attacked a man and could not be restrained despite several attempts with non-lethal methods, according to officials.
The Laurel Police Department reported that the officer concluded the approximately 15-minute assault with “two fatal blows” to the dog’s head, according to a news release.
Officials reported that the dog was a Belgian Malinois used by the Montana Highway Patrol.
Police reported that the victim sustained serious, yet non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a hospital following the attack around 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving.
The Montana Highway Patrol reported that a dog named Mike had served with the agency for almost three years, functioning as a comprehensive police utility dog skilled in narcotics detection, article search, area search, tracking, and apprehension.
A dog escaped its kennel and bit a man who was working in the yard, according to the agency. The agency stated in a Dec. 3 release that it was with a highway patrol canine handler who was not its usual handler.
Upon arrival, the Laurel police officer tried several non-lethal techniques to halt the assault, with help from the chief of the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department, who brought a catch pole.
“In my mind I was thinking, ‘Is he going to switch and come at us?’ I really thought that we were all probably going to end up getting bit at some point,” Fire Chief JW Hopper told KTVQ. Laurel city officials described the situation as unavoidable. “
City officials shared their sorrow regarding the loss of the dog and the effect it had on the victim in a statement posted on Facebook.
“The priority in this situation was protecting the health and well-being of the victim involved, and protecting innocent third parties, including law enforcement and the EMS personnel responding.
The city stated that the responding personnel took all necessary measures to de-escalate the crisis before resorting to any lethal force. Laurel police are looking into the matter, while the Montana Highway Patrol is conducting its own internal review, according to the highway patrol.