Victoria Police has launched an investigation after a woman was mauled by a police dog during a ‘planned’ police operation.
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The woman, in her 40s, was walking with her daughter along a bike path on Eaglehawk-Neilborough Road just after 6.30pm on Tuesday when she was attacked.
The woman suffered extensive injuries to her arms, back and stomach during the attack and was taken to Bendigo Health and hospitalised. Victoria Police said “the woman received a bite to her upper body and was taken to hospital for treatment”.
The attack happened outside a number of road blocks police had in place during a six-hour stand-off with a wanted man in Jackass Flat.
The woman was not connected to the operation, which involved the dog squad, Critical Incident Response Team and State Surveillance.
Paramedics were on stand-by from 6.15pm for the operation, but there were calls for medical assistance shortly after police stormed the house, following reports a person had been bitten by a dog. Witnesses have told of screaming and the woman’s horrific injuries.
Ambulance Victoria confirmed on Tuesday a woman had been transferred to hospital after being bitten by a dog.
The police dog involved has been taken off duty.
Victoria Police said it was providing assistance to the woman and her family, while a spokesperson for police minister Lisa Neville said the government had been advised police were investigating and it was “an operational matter and as such, questions should be directed to Victoria Police’’.
A 31-year old Jackass Flat man was arrested and charged in relation to the stand-off with police.