Personal Injury Law

Iowa Sheriff's Explosive's Sniffing K-9 Bites Infant

By Steve Lombardi

The Linn County Sheriff’s Department owns a dog trained to smell out explosives. The police dog is a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois. After playing fetch in the yard of Deputy Ireland took the dog inside his home where the dog bit Ellie Ireland who is 13 months old. The injured was severe enough to have required airlifting to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. The incident took place on January 23, 2009 at around 8:15 p.m., the child was not released from the hospital until Sunday, January 25, 2009.

If you’re wondering what type of dog this is, watch the YouTube video clips.

Scent training – Belgian Malinois http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNbxGTiYiWY

Attack training - Belgian Malinois http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2h98UPdf5k

This type of injury claim might be covered by Linn County's liability insurance policy or Deputy Ireland's homeowner's insurance policy. The question remains to be answered if the citizens of Linn County should be responsible for paying the child's hospital bills and other damages or if the individual officer should. It all depends on county policy and whether the dog should have been there or if Ireland was acting within the scope of his employment.

A little girl with scars on her face normally requires plastic surgery.

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on February 13, 2009 (boomark / email).