TULSA, Okla. — An 85-year-old Vietnam War veteran is recovering after being bitten by a Tulsa Police K-9 at a funeral for a fallen Creek County deputy Wednesday.
A family member contacted 2 News Oklahoma with details of the incident, saying her father was attacked by the police dog during the service and had to be rushed to Saint Francis Hospital by ambulance.
"Dad stood up with the dog still latched on," the man's daughter said.
When 2 News reached out to Tulsa Police for answers, they acknowledged the incident and said the K-9 has been with the department for less than a year and has not attended community events.
Police said the dog spends most of its time training for enforcement activities.
Tulsa Police said they typically do not have K-9s at funerals, but since the deputy was a K-9 handler, this was a special circumstance.
"The whole event was atypical for the dog and contributed to the situation," Captain Richard Meulenberg said.
When asked what specifically caused the dog's reaction, he could not say, but said all of their dogs are under constant evaluation.
2 News tried calling the injured veteran directly but has not been able to reach him. The family member who contacted 2 News is currently out of the country, but did send us photos of her father's injuries.
2 News will continue following this story as we work to learn more about what happened.
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