Houston Police officer attacked by police dog

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Houston Police officer is recovering in the hospital after he was attacked by a police dog.

According to HPD, the incident happened Monday morning around 1am, near Hardy Street and Gaines in north Houston.

Police responded after receiving a call from a homeowner about someone stealing items from his property.

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The homeowner told Eyewitness News he had been awake watching his surveillance cameras because someone stole tools the night before from a home he is remodeling.

When the alleged thief returned this morning, he called 911.

HPD dispatched several units, including a police dog and handler as they entered the property where the suspect was last seen.

Investigators say the handler found narcotics under the house and went to retrieve it, handing another HPD officer the leash to the police dog.

That's when the dog, for reasons unknown, attacked that officer, biting him in the calf.

"It looked bad from what I see there," said eyewitness Yolanda Reyna.

Reyna lives across the street and says she saw the scene immediately after the attack.

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The officer was limping and Reyna rushed to get him medical help.

"He seemed like he was hurt from the leg. I saw that they put him in the truck and it seemed like they were cleaning something off of him. It looked like he had gotten hurt," she said.

The homeowner who called the police shared his surveillance video, which depicts the scene outside the house both before and after the dog bit the officer.

In it, you can see the HPD handler apparently yelling at the dog, chastising it after attacking the officer.

HPD says the officer's wound was severe. He was rushed to the hospital.

He will be hospitalized for several days, but they do expect him to make a full recovery. The officer has not been named publicly.

The theft suspect was arrested.

An HPD spokesperson says investigators will review training, response and protocols as a result of this case.

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