Pubdate: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 Source: Star-Banner, The (FL) Copyright: 2005 The Star-Banner Contact: http://www.starbanner.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1533 Author: Mabel Perez, Staff Writer OCALA MAN MISTAKENLY ATTACKED BY POLICE DOG Man Says Officer Didn't Control Dog OCALA - A man was mistakenly bitten by an Ocala Police dog Friday, an attack he says was caused by poor training and a lack of professionalism. Corey King, 22, was at Parkside Garden Apartments, Second Street, visiting his grandmother Friday afternoon when Ocala Police officers began chasing Delorean Johnson, 21, through the neighborhood. King, who was walking through a grassy area near the complex, said he saw the chase and stopped walking. Moments later, Rocky, a dog in the K- 9 unit, ran toward him "acting hyper" before jumping up and latching on to his arm. Two puncture wounds in his right arm are evidence of the attack. Johnson, who had a warrant out for violation of probation from an original possession of cocaine charge, got away, police said. It is unclear if officers did anything wrong. "The incident is going to have a supervisor review," said Lt. Carmen Sirolli. "There was a person that was bitten, and we are investigating. Until we get all the facts together, I can't really talk about the investigation." Among the officers at the scene was Rocky's partner, Cpl. Jamie Buchbinder. King recalls the incident. "I seen a police dog and stopped," King said, saying he saw a man running near the complex. "I put my hands up and said, 'Officer get your dog. Please get your dog.' " King's mother, Joyce King, said she saw her son sitting on the ground after the attack. "I saw him on the ground, and I think he's having an diabetic seizure," she said. OPD calls the incident an accident. Several details about the incident were not disclosed. And some of King's statements could not be verified. "It's an unfortunate incident. We're sorry about what happened," Sirolli said. "But it could've happened to anybody." But King said Cpl. Buchbinder's dog didn't follow orders to let go of him, saying that the K-9 officer had to physically pull the dog off him. "The officer really acted like he didn't care . . . he took his time to take the dog off me," he said. At the hospital, King said the officer was insensitive. "He made sure to say 'I'm sorry for the dog'. . . he didn't apologize for himself," Corey King said, about Buchbinder's visit to the hospital. "That's his job to control him. That's his weapon." Sirolli disagrees, adding that Buchbinder met with King and gave him his cell phone and pager numbers just in case he needed anything. He also told medical staff that OPD would be footing the bill. Buchbinder will continue to work through the investigation. Other officers at the scene will also be interviewed about the attack. "The officer is going to continue to do his job. I don't know any reason to suspend him," Sirolli said, describing the incident as isolated. "The officer and the canines go through extensive training, and they're state certified. That's a lot to say." This is the second investigation Buchbinder has been involved in. In March 2002, he, along with Cpl. Roger Wissinger, were investigated for wrongly entering a West Ocala home and pepper spraying a family. The investigation concluded that Buchbinder's use of pepper spray against the three angry family members was justified, while Wissinger was told he improperly entered the home without a warrant. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek