A police officer had taken his police k9 dog to a photographer’s house for a scheduled appointment to photograph the police k9 dog for publicity. The officer, dressed in full uniform on official duty with the dog, arrived at the appointment and while waiting in the driveway were introduced to the photographer’s wife. She asked permission to pet the police k9 dog. The officer said it was ok. The woman knelt down and placed both her hands on the side of the dog’s head. The dog attacked her, biting her in the face inflicting serious bodily injury. The police department claimed that the woman provoked the police k9 dog and the incident was her fault.

I was hired as an expert on police k9 training and handling by the plaintiff. Upon investigation I discovered that the police k9 training mandated that the dog was to be trained to meet the public and work along side other police officers. When I asked how the dog was trained to meet strangers the officer had no procedure that was to be used to safely introduce the dog.  I pointed out how a reasonably prudent police k9 handler would be trained.