ALGONA – A nuisance report for an aggressive dog and its feces at a house led to a policeman knocking at a door, at which time the suspect canine immediately attacked and bit the officer, who did not then use deadly force to defend himself against the mongrel.
An Algona Police officer was bitten by a dog while responding to a complaint call, resulting in four puncture wounds on the officer’s arm.
In response to a report made on January 31 related to a dog’s aggressive behavior and excessive dog feces on the property, the officer was dispatched to a residence on N. Main Street at approximately 7:15 p.m. on February 1.
Upon arrival, the officer knocked on the door of the residence and a short time later an occupant of the home opened the door. Immediately after the door opened, the dog exited the home and bit the officer, puncturing his right arm in four places through multiple layers of clothing.
Video footage of the incident was captured through a private home security system and shared on social media, although due to the position of the officer’s body the dog bite is not easily observed on film. After being bitten by the dog, the officer unholstered his taser but did not deploy it on the animal. A heated verbal exchange followed, between the officer and the occupant of the home, while the dog moved freely throughout the yard. The officer remained on the scene until the dog re-entered the home.
“After the incident the officer followed our standard procedure for workplace injuries and contacted the company nurse. The officer was advised to report to the emergency room since the bite broke the skin,” said Algona Police Chief Bo Miller.
The officer went to the emergency room at Kossuth Regional Health Center where he was treated for four puncture wounds from the dog bite and then released.
The incident remains under investigation.
