For the second time this year, we have the pleasure of bringing you an actual man bites dog story.
The latest human to turn the table on man's best friend: 33-year-old John Kroll, who allegedly bit a police dog as he was getting arrested earlier this week.
According to court records, Police were called to an apartment near 83rd Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road Monday where Kroll had barricaded himself in a closet armed with a bat and a knife during an apparent burglary attempt.
A woman and her 11-year-old son were also in the apartment.
Cops let a police dog loose in the closet with Kroll -- who punched and kicked the dog before biting it in its right thigh.
Kroll, ultimately, was taken into custody -- and he apparently got a little banged up in the process.
He was booked into jail on one count each of burglary, assault, resisting arresting and harming a work service animal.
Back in March, we reported on a similar man bites dog story, also involving an alleged criminal attempting to fend off a police dog.
On March 19, 2010, Erin Sullivan broke into a Glendale home, his lawyer, Keith Knowlton told New Times earlier this year.
When Sullivan realized the homeowner was in the house, he fled on foot,
but police were already closing in on the would-be burglar.
Outside of the home, an officer had Sullivan at gunpoint and instructed
him to stop running, but he continued to flee -- and the officer didn't
shoot.
Sullivan continued to run until he found a place to hide -- all as police helicopters had been deployed to aid in his capture.
"Erin found a hiding spot under a little dog house he pulled over
himself," a complaint Sullivan filed against the Glendale and Phoenix
police departments states. "He heard officers walk by him. He got
out of the dog house and moved about twenty feet when he heard the
helicopter and heard instruction to 'freeze.'""
According to his attorney, Sullivan knew the jig was up, and got on his knees and put his hands on his head.
That's when Sullivan met Officer Bryan Welsh -- and his dog -- who "came
around the corner and appeared to be surprised to see Erin."
Sullivan says he was "told to move
backwards 'slowly' from the object he was kneeling in front of. As he
began to move backwards on his knees as instructed, Officer Welsh let
the dog loose."
Sullivan says the dog bit him two or three times -- causing injuries
that required about 40 staples to seal the wounds -- before he decided
to bite back.
"When the dog went for Erin's neck area, Erin felt his life was in
danger and hit and bit the dog on its nose," the report states.
After Sullivan bit the dog, the officers called it off -- and then
blasted him with some pepper spray, which, his lawyer claims, was after
he'd already surrendered and no longer posed a threat.
Following his arrest, Sullivan was taken to a Glendale City Jail, where
he claims he told officers he was diabetic and needed insulin. The
officers, Sullivan's lawyer claims, ignored his request and he had a
seizure.
Sullivan, who is currently prison-bound for the burglary, seeks punitive
damages for negligence, excessive force, and constitutional
violations. The cities of Phoenix and Glendale, Officer
Welsh, and three other police officers are named in the suit.
"They basically use dogs and Tasers on people all the time, even after they've surrendered" Knowlton tells New Times. "That's what this is about."
Maybe, but it's also about a guy who bit a dog, which is much more entertaining.
