Liam Nordal escaped with scratches after the police dog jumped on him. Police apologize for the incident.
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– I would rather have been bitten a little harder by the dog than meet a blotter, says Nordal, who does not resent the police or the police dog.
On Sunday afternoon, the police hunted for a blotter at the cemetery of Østre Aker Church on Ulven in Oslo.
The suspected blotter escaped from the police on a bicycle and disappeared out a gate and up a footbridge over the highway, where the police car could not follow. The police then released a police dog, which jumped over the gate at the cemetery.
But rather than running after the man on the bike to the right of the dog, it set full speed to the left, towards Liam Nordal and his little brother Luka (11), who came walking along the walkway next to the cemetery.
Liam Nordal shows the abrasion on his elbow when he fell while the dog chased him. In addition, he received minor injuries to his hand, hip and foot. The family does not want to be pictured in the newspaper. Photo: Markus Tobiassen
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– When it was one meter in front of us, it jumped. We then jumped towards each our side, says little brother Luka.
The dog first hit the big brother in the arm, where he received a small wound. Then it ran after the big brother, who fell into the road. First, the dog tore off the big brother’s shoe, before it bit over the pants, the brothers say.
The trousers were damaged, but the big brother only got small surface wounds in the skin.
– It took a while before they could pull it off me. They pulled very hard in the neck skin and then it came loose, says Liam.
VG has also spoken to the brothers ‘mother, and two other witnesses to the incident, which confirms the boys’ story.
– Very sad
Operations Manager Lina Odden confirms the incident.
– It was a dog handler who was very upset and thought this was sad, says Odden.
She says the family has received an apology and been followed up.
– In retrospect, we have talked to both the boy and the boy’s family. He was not physically injured, but I would probably assume it’s scary. We replace the trousers that may have been damaged.
Odden cannot answer how the case is followed up with the dog, but says both the family and the dog handler are followed up.
May meet the dog again
The brothers’ mother, Janne Nilsen, says she understands what the police did.
– They tried to do their job, then an accident happened, and then we are happy that it did not get worse. I would rather have active police than have my children meet more easily, she says.
She says that the police both followed the boys home and that the task leader in the police came by a little later to make sure that they were doing well.
The brothers say that they themselves have two dogs and that over the weekend they have been promised that they will be allowed to meet the police dog and clean up.
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