Friday, May 16, 2008

Police dog bit shooting victim instead of gunman

A man who was shot at in a Worksop street was bitten by a police dog who mistook him for the gunman.

The man was aimed at by a thug brandishing a sawn-off shotgun on Newgate Street at 6.15pm last night - just as a police dog handler was passing by. The police officer saw the gun being discharged and missing the victim, and released his police dog to apprehend the attacker.

But, instead, the victim was pounced on by the dog when he started running off in the same direction as the gunman. A Nottinghamshire Police spokesman said: "A passing Nottinghamshire Police dog section officer witnessed a man fire what is thought to be a sawn-off shotgun in the direction of another man on Newgate Street.

"The offender missed the man, who was uninjured by the discharge, and then fled the scene. The offender's intended victim also fled the scene, heading in the same direction as the offender.

"He suffered minor injuries after the police dog was released in an attempt to apprehend the offender and mistakenly bit him. He has been taken to Bassetlaw District General Hospital for treatment."

Police arrested two men, aged 29 and 23, at an address in Nottingham in connection with the incident. They were being quizzed by detectives.

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