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A police dog has been seriously injured and an officer stands incapacitated for weeks after a knife attack in south London, UK
Police dog Kaiser was on patrol with his handler, PC Mark Woolcott, at around 11pm on Sunday, May 30th, when they were called to a report of an intruder in the garden of a house on Luxted Road, Orpington. The couple, along with other officials, responded and began a search of the area. They found a man a way behind the house.
When Kaiser tried to restrain the man, he was stabbed up to five times on the head and once under the eye. Despite the attack, Kaiser was able to keep the man under control long enough for officers to seize him. He was taken to the vets, where luckily it turned out that the blows to his head had hit bones, narrowly avoiding permanent injury or worse. He had to be sutured and was held overnight for observation, but he is expected to make a full recovery.
In the fight that followed the attack on Kaiser, another officer suffered a broken wrist and is expected to be unable to work for up to a month.
The man responsible for the attack had left his Biggin Hill house that evening armed with a large kitchen knife. He is also said to have smashed the window of a car with a golf club before disappearing into nearby fields.
He is 43 and has severe mental health problems. His family had informed the police of his disappearance and carried out a search, but they could not be found immediately.
After the attack on Kaiser, the man was imprisoned under the Mental Health Act and is now being treated in an appropriate facility.
Superintendent Emma Richards of the Metropolitan Police Task Force, which includes the Dog Support Unit, said, “I would like to pay tribute to Kaiser and PC Woolcott for the immense courage they have shown in fighting this armed man. Kaiser was stabbed in the head several times and is lucky enough to be alive.
“My thoughts also go to the policeman who sustained a broken wrist. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on duty as soon as possible.
“We should acknowledge that the man responsible for this attack was suffering from a mental crisis. He will get the care he needs now and a decision will be made in due course as to whether a criminal complaint is appropriate.
“Incidents where mental health is an important factor can be unpredictable and sometimes dangerous. They make up an increasing proportion of the calls our employees answer and present a unique set of challenges.
“The events of Sunday night are a reminder of the risks our men, women and animals face on the front lines. We ask them to take the risk and uncertainty every day to keep the public safe and I am proud that they do so with so much dedication and courage every time. “
Read the report with the Metropolitan Police
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