Updated
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A Centralia woman is recovering after an unexpected encounter with a police dog last night at her back door.
Janice Arias said she was sitting at her kitchen table visiting with two friends when she heard a commotion outside.
“I had my little six-pound Chihuahua in my arms, I opened the back door, I had my flashlight,” Arias said. “I seen an officer moving around, and the next thing I see, is a big black dog head coming at me.”
Lobo
Arias said the K-9 bit her twice on her left breast and left a seven-inch scratch on her inner thigh.
She was wearing pajama pants.
“I was in shock, and screaming, I dropped my Chihuahua,” she said. “My pit bull Tigger heard me and came running, and got between me and K-9 Lobo.”
She said the two dogs began fighting and the officer came over and gave his dog commands like, “release” and “out”.
“The officer left, and all I heard was ‘get your ass back in the house’,” she said.
Centralia Police Officer Ruben Ramirez had been attempting to pull over a stolen Honda Accord along North Pearl Street, north of Reynolds Avenue.
After its driver jumped out of the still-moving vehicle and fled on foot, the officer activated his door release and called Lobo to apprehend the felony suspect, according to police.
“As Lobo was moving toward Officer Ramirez, a resident came outside of her house carrying a small dog in her arms,” Centralia police stated in a news release today. “Officer Ramirez recognized Lobo was going towards the resident and immediately called the dog off and commanded Lobo to lay down.”
Centralia police say as the K-9 laid down, he was almost simultaneously attacked by the pit bull.
Ramirez broke up the dog fight and instructed the woman to go back inside because a suspect was still outstanding, according to police.
The suspect got away.
Lobo, a German Shepherd, came to the Centralia Police Department at age 1 in mid-2010.
Earlier this year, he was given the Centralia Police Department Lifesaving Award, for grabbing the arm of a suspect who produced a gun while engaged with Ramirez.
Police Chief Carl Nielsen in the formal statement said they are sorry the resident was injured, but at this point, it’s not clear which of the three dogs is to blame.
“This was a dynamic incident with a lot of different things occurring at the same time,” Nielsen stated.
The incident is being reviewed by department staff, according to Nielsen. Arias said police Sgt. Carl Buster took her statement.
Nielsen noted how thankful the department is Ramirez has “outstanding control” over his dog. Detective Patty Finch said Lobo is not being put on leave.
Arias disputes that she stepped outside, at least not until an ambulance arrived to take her to Providence Centralia Hospital.
The 48-year-old Centralia native said neither of her dogs were injured, but she is very sore.
Lobo didn’t leave puncture wounds, but broke the skin, she said.
The emergency room doctor put her on antibiotics and pain medication and told her she was lucky she had been wearing a hooded sweatshirt over her T-shirt, she said.
It was a frightening experience, she said, one she expects the police department should take responsibility for.
Arias said her two friends can vouch for what happened, as they were right behind her. And she’s wrapped up the sweatshirt in a plastic bag, certain it has Lobo’s DNA on it.
“I understand he was doing his job, but he should have a little more control over his dog,” she said. “People should be able to open up their doors and not have a K-9 come up and attack you.”
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