Video footage of a bare chested man being savaged in the neck by a police dog is being referred to the IPCC, police say.
The video shows the man lying on his front in the road with a police officer behind him and another in front holding the canine. When the man attempts to lift himself off the ground the dog lunges forwards and sinks its teeth into his neck.
The police dog handler tries to pull the animal away but it does not release the man and he is dragged a short way along the road. The incident happened at around 3am on Monday morning after officers arrested a male following a fight in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset.
A number of onlookers recorded the event on their phones, with people heard in the background shouting and whistling.
Avon and Somerset Police Assistant Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe said: “I have watched the YouTube clip featuring one of our police dogs and I think it’s awful. It’s only a few seconds long and doesn’t show what led up to the arrest, nor the aftermath. A full investigation is taking place to understand exactly what happened.
I have watched the YouTube clip featuring one of our police dogs and I think it’s awful – Assistant Chief Constable Louisa Rolfe
“The officer was transferred to other duties whilst the investigation takes place and we are referring the matter to the IPCC today.
“It’s our policy to be as open and transparent as possible. It would be wrong to comment on a live IPCC investigation but I can assure the public of the rigorous standards expected of our dogs and their handlers. The events surrounding this particular incident will be closely scrutinised to see what we can learn from it.”