LAKEWOOD, Colo. - A Colorado man says officers in suburban Denver allowed a police dog to attack him while he slept, nearly killing him and permanently damaging his vocal chords.

The Denver Post reported Monday that 25-year-old Spencer Erickson sued Lakewood police, saying officers improperly released the dog to search an apartment for him in September 2018 when they were investigating a non-violent property crime.

The lawsuit says the dog bit Erickson’s neck, leaving wounds nearly 2 inches (5 centimetres) deep that came dangerously close to a jugular vein.

Lakewood police spokesman John Romero says the department doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit says the officers were responding to a 911 call from Erickson’s roommate who said Erickson had cut a hole in the apartment’s attic and might be in the crawlspace.

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Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com