Vancouver schools: Woman sues after police dog attack

A Vancouver woman is suing the city after she says she was attacked by a police dog for no reason.

In a May 23 civil complaint filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Erin Carlyle McLeod alleges she was sitting on the front steps of Grandview Elementary School on June 28, 2022, when she was attacked by the dog “without warning.”

The lawsuit states that during the “unprovoked attack,” the dog grabbed her arms and dragged her down the steps onto a gravel-covered floor.

McLeod said she did not see anyone walk past her and did not hear police sirens or lights. According to court documents, she never heard anyone identify themselves as a police officer.

The lawsuit states that the attack was caused by the negligence of the officer who had the dog under control.

It was said that McLeod suffered injuries to his arm and back, as well as abrasions, and was suffering from sleep disorders, post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression.

The lawsuit names the City of Vancouver and an unknown woman identified as a police officer as defendants.

McLeod is seeking several types of damages.

City spokesman Phoenix Lam said the city could not comment because the case was before the courts.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.