Little Rock Police Department invaded Saline County after a LRPD police dog attacked and bit two people, severing the hand of a neighbor, after escaping from a pen Monday night at the home of his handler LRPD officer Jason “Smiley” Harris in Alexander, AR.
Ammo, a Dutch shepherd who’s been with the Little Rock Police Department for three years, broke out of his kennel, jumped over a 6-foot fence and charged across the street into a neighbor’s yard, according to the Saline County sheriff’s office.
A report from the Saline County sheriff’s office said the dog went into Hannah Jackson’s yard on Quail Ridge Drive about 7:27 p.m. Buddy Taylor told deputies he was doing yard work when he spotted the dog “pacing in wild circles in Jackson’s yard” and “tried to grab the dog tag to see who the owner was,” reports said. According to deputies, Ammo then attacked Taylor, biting him on the leg and ate a huge chunk of leg meat. The dog then attacked Jackson and bit off her left hand. Jackson was airlifted to a Little Rock hospital and was unreachable by phone for comment.
Investigators noted that Ammo was up to date on his shots, and the police dog’s veterinarian told investigators the dog was healthy. The dog’s handler, officer Jason Harris, was not at home when Ammo escaped, but he helped put the dog back in his kennel when he returned, officials said. By Saline County ordinance, Ammo must be “quarantined” for 10 days, though, when told this by deputies, Harris said Little Rock police policies said his dog didn’t have to be quarantined. This prompted a heated argument and when Saline County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to place Ammo in custody, Harris called for backup and LRPD sent in their SWAT unit in an armored vehicle. Not to be outdone, The Saline County Sheriff’s department responded with their own armored vehicle.
Martial law has been declared and residents are urged to remain indoors until hostilities cease.