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Scary Dog Tales And Little Kids

 July 8, 2014 ⋅  Post a comment

One man is sitting in the Ada slammer in lieu of $500,000 bond after his “pit bull-type dog” mauled a child. Police say both the child and dog were left unattended in a van in March, but the arrest was made over the weekend. Here is the Boise PD account:

Boise Police, working with Ada County Prosecutors, have charged a man with felony injury to a child after his dog attacked and severely injured a six year old boy. At the time of the attack, the child and his two siblings were being cared for by the suspect who is a close acquaintance of a parent of the children.

Arrested: Christopher A. Anderson, 24, Boise

Charges: Injury to a Child – 5 counts (F), Resisting and Obstructing Officers (m)

What Happened: Boise Police were called to a parking lot on the 1300 block of South Broadway Avenue at 3;34 p.m. March 27 to assist Boise Firefighters and Ada County Paramedics who were already on the scene of a reported dog mauling.

Officers found a six year old boy had just been transported to a nearby hospital with severe facial injuries. Witnesses reported a pit bull-type dog had attacked the boy after both were left inside the suspect’s van. Two other children between the ages of 9 and 11 were also inside the van at the time the attack occurred. They were not injured. The suspect was reportedly inside the business and had left the children alone with the dog when the attack occurred.

The dog belongs to Anderson. At the time of the attack, the children were being cared for by Anderson who is an acquaintance of a parent of the children.

Immediately after the attack, officers were told the dog was running loose in the neighborhood. Officers set up a perimeter and working with Animal Control, began searching for the dog. The dog was later found and officers learned the suspect had, immediately after the attack, taken the dog and placed it in the backyard of an acquaintance who lives nearby.

The dog, a pit bull approximately 4 – 5 years old, was immediately placed and remains in the custody of Animal Control at the Idaho Humane Society.

During their investigation, officers found evidence the suspect had knowledge the dog was aggressive and had behaved in a violent manner in the past. Also during the investigation, detectives with the Boise Police Special Victims Unit discovered other cases of injury to a child involving the suspect and the victims, which led to the additional counts.

Following the attack, fearing the children would be in continued danger in their current living situation, detectives placed the children into the protective custody of Idaho Health and Welfare.

After a detailed and lengthy investigation, officers’ reports were forwarded to prosecutors for review. A warrant was issued for the suspect’s arrest July 2. Boise Police officers located the suspect at a motel near the Boise Airport Saturday, July 5.

The suspect was arraigned Monday on the above charges. He remains in the Ada County Jail on a $500,000 bond. A preliminary hearing has been set for July 18.

MEANWHILE IN NAMPA

A Nampa copper shot a dog over the weekend which was later put down by a veterinarian at the request of the owner following a confrontation involving an unattended child found in the street while responding to an illegal fireworks call.

“The use of lethal force by an officer is always a last option. We do not want to hurt or kill any animals,” said Nampa PD Chief Craig Kingsbury. Police said the unidentified officer working the fireworks call found the child and approached a residence to find a responsible adult when the dog charged out of the house. He retreated to the street.

Nampa coppers have video body cams, but due to the sudden attack and retreat to the street, the officer did not activate the device. A similar incident about a year ago was captured on video and the dog’s owner apologized to the police.

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