Assault on four-legged 'officer'

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-6  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

POLICE dogs in Norway are finally getting the respect they deserve.

The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that they are public servants, making an assault on a police dog as serious as an attack on any police officer.

The precedent-setting case centered on a police dog named Casper, who was attacked for doing his duty. In May last year in the western city of Bergen, a 29-year-old man was caught breaking into an apartment. When police tried to arrest him, the man fled. But Casper gave chase ?? and collared the suspect.

In his effort to escape, the suspect, whose name was not reported, began kicking and punching the dog. Casper did his duty, though, and succeeded in holding the man until human officers handcuffed him.

The man was charged not only for the break-in, but also with assaulting a police officer - in this case, Casper.

Two courts dismissed the assault charge, saying the offense applied only to humans.

But the high court sent the case back to the lower court courts yesterday with instructions on how to interpret the law properly.

"The supreme court finds that the concept of assault must also be used to cover assault on a police dog," the court ruled.