Eugene police dog attacks the wrong guy
By Molly Blancett KVAL NewsEUGENE, Ore. -- Tim Crossan has some serious battle wounds from a brutal attack. His legs are covered in bruises and bite marks. "The teeth went in all the way to the back of the calf on this one, on both sides, " said Crossan. The wounds are from both an intruder and a Eugene Police K9 Unit. Crossan said he was asleep Tuesday night. He awoke to police cars in his cul de sac, reportedly searching for a man accused of trying to break into his neighbor's house. Crossan heard something and said it was then that he found what the police were looking for: the intruder. "He was sucked up against this wall," Crossan said. Crossan said he and the suspect started fighting. That's when help arrived, or so he thought. "In my head, I thought, 'This is great. Finally you guys are here,'" said Crossan. The officer had a dog with him. But the dog didn't go after the suspect. "The dog attacked me," said Crossan. "I went to the floor, screaming before I got bit, no no no. please please. It's not me. It's not me. He's getting away." His neighbor Ted Johnson watched it all unfold. Police Chief Pete Kerns said Crossan's appearance, because it was so dark out, and behavior matched the description of the suspect. "If we failed to provide him with the care and understanding that he deserved that night, then I'm disappointed in that," said Kerns. "It should never happen." Police say the suspect is a black man, 5-feet-eight-inches tall and 170 to 180 pounds. He likely has bruises on his face from the fight. Meanwhile, Kerns said changes are on the way for the department. Officers will get more use-of-force and de-escalation training. |
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