The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has exonerated an officer in the Ontario Provincial Police K-9 unit after a police service dog bit a suspect.
The incident occurred on November 18, 2020, at what was described by the SIU as a rural greenhouse business in Leamington. The OPP's Emergency Response Team and Tactical Response Unit performed a raid at the location, which was allegedly used as an illegal grow operation for cannabis.
A house on the property was searched.
Two officers, including the K-9 officer, found a woman hiding in a closet. She was bitten by the police dog on the top of her head before the handler could restrain the dog.
The woman suffered a serious wound and the report said she is waiting for plastic surgery.
SIU Director Joseph Martino concluded that the search was a lawful one since the officers had a search warrant. He also said the dog's handler had no way of knowing the woman would be hiding in the closet.
"In the result, as there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the [officer] transgressed the limits of care prescribed by the criminal law. There is no basis for proceeding with charges in this case, and the file is closed," wrote Martino.
The report can be found in its entirety on the official SIU website.
