A child is hospitalized after being attacked by a police K-9, Pearl's mayor confirmed on Tuesday.Mayor Brad Rodgers said the incident was reported Sunday morning.The dog's handler, Chris Picou, took K-9 Splinter to his home in Gluckstadt, Pearl police said. Picou let the dog out of its pen and went inside the house, Capt. Brian McGarity said. When Picou came back outside, he realized that the dog had escaped by digging under the fence, McGarity said.Picou went looking for the dog, found it and discovered that it had bitten a 5-year-old boy who was riding his bike, McGairty said. Pearl police officials advised the child's parents to take him to a hospital. "There were bite marks on both legs. One (was) more superficial, and I say that humbly, it was more a nudge, not a true bite. Whereas the other was indeed a bite mark on there," McGairty said.Drew Martin, an attorney representing the boy's family, said the child's injuries are not minor."The family is concerned (that) the Pearl Police Department is minimizing this," Drew Martin, an attorney representing the boy's family, said. "Not only is the child still in the hospital, but he hasn't walked since he got to the hospital."The dog will remain quarantined for 10 days, authorities said. When Splinter is released, the dog will be returned to a handler in Louisiana and will receive additional training, authorities said. Once the training is complete, Splinter will return to Pearl, McGairty said.The Madison County Sheriff's Department is investigating the incident, authorities said.22758298

A child is hospitalized after being attacked by a police K-9, Pearl's mayor confirmed on Tuesday.

Mayor Brad Rodgers said the incident was reported Sunday morning.

The dog's handler, Chris Picou, took K-9 Splinter to his home in Gluckstadt, Pearl police said. Picou let the dog out of its pen and went inside the house, Capt. Brian McGarity said. When Picou came back outside, he realized that the dog had escaped by digging under the fence, McGarity said.

Picou went looking for the dog, found it and discovered that it had bitten a 5-year-old boy who was riding his bike, McGairty said. Pearl police officials advised the child's parents to take him to a hospital.

"There were bite marks on both legs. One (was) more superficial, and I say that humbly, it was more a nudge, not a true bite. Whereas the other was indeed a bite mark on there," McGairty said.

Drew Martin, an attorney representing the boy's family, said the child's injuries are not minor.

"The family is concerned (that) the Pearl Police Department is minimizing this," Drew Martin, an attorney representing the boy's family, said. "Not only is the child still in the hospital, but he hasn't walked since he got to the hospital."

The dog will remain quarantined for 10 days, authorities said. When Splinter is released, the dog will be returned to a handler in Louisiana and will receive additional training, authorities said. Once the training is complete, Splinter will return to Pearl, McGairty said.

The Madison County Sheriff's Department is investigating the incident, authorities said.



