Crime & Safety

Police Dog Attacks Commissioner's Son, Report Says

The boy was uninjured in the alleged attack, which occurred on Feb. 4.

A Haverford commissioner is demanding that the township end its three-month experiment with K9 units on the force after he says the department’s dog attacked his son at a recent meeting, the Main Line Media News is reporting.

While the boy’s shirt was torn, he was uninjured.

According to the paper, commissioner Larry Holmes took his eight-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter to a Feb. 4 workshop meeting that was also attended by K9 Nitro and his human partner, officer Mark Semerad. Holmes' son and daughter reportedly met with and petted Nitro at the beginning of the meeting, but at one point during the workshop session, Nitro began tugging at the boy's jacket sleeve, then, when the officer got up to leave with the dog, the animal reportedly lunged at the boy from behind, tearing a three-inch gash in his shirt.

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Holmes, who was among the four commissioners who voted against is now demanding that Nitro be removed.

“I want the whole program finished and no matter what, I don’t want this dog to work in Haverford Township,” Holmes told the paper. “Nitro cannot be part of Haverford’s police force anymore. That is my position as a father and a commissioner.”

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Nitro has been taken off duty for the time being. A professional evaluation will take place on Feb. 15.

Read the full story here.


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