K9 bites leave man needing 29 stitches to the head, no charges: SIU [Video]

Ontario’s police watchdog concluded there are no grounds to charge an officer after a 55-year-old man required 29 stitches to the head and suffered cartilage damage to his right ear due to bites from a police service dog.

The Special Investigations Unit said it was contacted Nov. 18, 2023 at 11:38 a.m. by the London Police Service, reporting that the night before, a police service dog had injured a break-and-enter suspect.

Police in London, Ont., were contacted by security at Hydro One at Power Street and Highbury Avenue the night before about an ongoing break and enter and two suspects being monitored through security cameras, the SIU said. Police dispatched a canine officer and he began tracking the suspects with his police service dog just before 2 a.m. Nov. 18.

About 25 minutes later, the service dog found one of the suspects.

The SIU said the police service dog had “latched onto” …