Police dog choked, bitten
Syracuse, NY (US)Incident Date: Monday, Apr 21, 2003
County: Onondaga
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Paul F. Russell
A 33-year-old man faces charges that he bit a police dog during a disturbance outside a downtown bar. Paul Russell of Syracuse, was charged with injuring a police animal, resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration.
"I don't think I bit the dog. I just got into a fight with him," Russell told The Post-Standard of Syracuse in Monday's newspaper. "I don't really remember (what happened). I was pretty drunk."
The incident occurred Saturday night when Officer William Foster and his dog, a German shepherd named Renny, were sent to investigate a disturbance at 10 p.m. outside the Empire Brewing Co., a bar in Syracuse's Armory Square district.
Russell said he and a friend were asked to leave the tavern and then got into a tussle with bouncers.
According to police reports, Russell grabbed Renny by the throat and started choking the animal and biting it on the left side of his neck.
Foster said he punched Russell twice in the face to make him let go of the dog. Russell said he suffered a broken nose and two black eyes when police hit him.
Russell was treated at Community General Hospital. He was jailed overnight before being released on his own recognizance after being arraigned Sunday by City Judge Thomas W. Higgins Jr.
After the arrest, 3-year-old Renny was taken to a veterinarian. Foster said the animal had swelling in his neck and was sore where he was bitten.
"The dog is off for the next two days. He'll be back for his regular shift. He's not expected to miss any time," said Lt. Joseph Cecile, a police spokesman. References« NY State Animal Cruelty Map
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