While looking for info on another topic - dogs/choking/tennis balls - I came across a recent Snopes article that referred to an incident in Maryland where a K9 was used to catch and detain an illegal alien/burglary suspect who bolted while being detained and questioned by patrol officers. My question is not about the specifics of this case or about what this K9 officer did or didn't do, but about K9 policy.
Snopes article
I wasn't aware (according to the charged officer involved) that "police guidelines call for using force (including police dogs) only for self-defense or to protect others" and that this would preclude the use of the dog to apprehend someone fleeing or evading. So are the dog and handler supposed to stand there while another officer chases the suspect? That's not the way they do it on "Cops" is it?  Do we have to tie down one of the dog's legs so he won't have an advantage? What's wrong here, the Maryland agencies policy? As a former LEO. I'd expect to see something like this come out of California.
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Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Hanlon's Razor
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