Yes, you read that right: A man who bit a police dog who had nabbed him after he allegedly burglarized a house is suing police and two Arizona cities involved in his capture.
According to reports, the dog, Zeke, caught up with Erin Sullivan, 33, and apprehended him by biting him on the shoulder, as K9s are trained to do. But Sullivan didn’t want to be caught, according to reports.
“Sullivan punched Zeke in the face then bit Zeke on his muzzle. Zeke then repositioned his bite to Sullivan’s upper left arm. Sullivan pulled Zeke’s face toward his and bit Zeke over his right eye,” according to the Glendale, Ariz., police report. At that point, officers used pepper spray on Sullivan, and Zeke pulled him from his hiding place.
Sullivan is now is serving an eight-year prison sentence for the incident, which happened last spring. He was convicted of criminal trespassing, second-degree burglary, and cruelty to animals.
But that hasn’t stopped him from filing a lawsuit demanding $450,000 for his alleged mistreatment. He claims that when he heard the police helicopters, he dropped to his knees and put his hands on his head, and that the dog viciously attacked him anyway. So he bit back. You can read more details of his claims — including that he needed 40 staples to close the damage done by Zeke — in this Daily Mail article or on Fox News.
Zeke also needed medical attention after the bite, according to police, but he has not sued Sullivan.
