An attack by a dog can be sudden and vicious. The level of injury that those teeth can do in a matter of seconds might surprise some people. The resulting injury can leave a victim crippled temporarily, if not for life. Attorneys in Wisconsin with experience with such attacks know that there can be instances when the use of canines by police falls into an area where questions are raised about the use of excessive force.

Such is the claim of a man who suffered a huge gaping wound in his right thigh after he was brought down in a police dog attack last summer. According to a lawsuit filed by 33-year-old Christopher Evans, it took nearly 100 surgical staples to stitch up the gash. Besides his medical issues, he also lost his job because he was incapacitated for two months after the action by police in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Evans' suit, which is being managed by a legal aid group, claims that use of the dog amounted to careless and excessive action on the part of police; an issue the group says is common in Evans' poverty stricken neighborhood. It's not clear what Evans he may be seeking in terms of damages. What the suit does ask for is a change in policy regarding police dog use. The suit suggests an appropriate change would include a ban on police dogs being used in routine situations unless other arrest tactics have failed.

This case developed back in June after Evans broke a window on the door of a city bus with his skateboard. He says he was frustrated by the fact that several buses had failed to pick him up. After the incident, Evans says he started for home, riding on his board. The next thing he knew, he was in the jaws of a police dog. He says he was wearing headphones and didn't know police were even around.

A significant aspect of the case is that Evans was initially charged with mischief in connection with the broken window incident. But prosecutors dropped the charges after seeing the injuries the dog inflicted on him.

Police have responded to the suit saying that the actions of the officers involved and the dog were justified and that no changes in policy are likely to be made.

Source: Vancouver Sun, "Man sues City of Vancouver, officers over police dog bite," Evan Duggan, Jan. 27, 2012