Justin Lemay’s mother called the police on July 16, 2012 to let them know that her son was suicidal, stating that her daughter had found a noose hanging in the garage, and she was concerned that her son was going to hurt himself. But when the police arrived Justin did not even get the opportunity to talk to them. Before he could say anything, they released their K-9 attack dog on him.
Justin recently recalled the terrifying incident. He said the dog grabbed his face and began biting him:
Justin was taken to the emergency room after the attack. He was unable to eat for a week after the attack because his face was swollen:
Officer Dietz was one of the officers involved in the incident and was subsequently arrested for domestic violence three years after the incident. Here’s how his response call went with his partner after the attack:
The North Port Police Department was responsible for the canine attack. An investigation revealed that the North Port K-9 unit had been involved in 34 bites between 2010 and 2014. The police officers clearly violated the policies set by the International Association of Police Chiefs for K-9 units, which states that the police officers should not engage the mentally-disturbed if there is no crime being committed. It also states that extra care should be taken when there is a juvenile suspect.
This is obviously an atrocious incident, and the police responsible deserve to be in jail for what they did to this poor boy. You’d think that one would have the common sense to approach and engage someone who is suicidal respectfully and cautiously, rather than unleashing a trained attack dog on them. But not these guys…