MADISON COUNTY — A Madison County Sheriff's Department K-9 attacked a woman who was being helped by its deputy handler last week.
Sheriff Scott Mellinger says the incident happened around 8 p.m. on September 20 near CR 100W and CR 1000N.
Mellinger said the deputy was tending to a crash victim when his K-9 jumped out of the cruiser and bit the victim.
The victim was taken to an Anderson hospital to be treated for injuries from the crash and from the K-9's bite.
“We are investigating this incident and we have placed the K9 on an off-duty status at this point until we can determine if the K9 behaved appropriately as trained, if the deputy took standard precautions when leaving the vehicle, or if there was a mechanical malfunction which allowed the K9 to leave the vehicle," Mellinger said. "Obviously we would never intend for an innocent bystander to suffer any type of injury while performing our duties.”
