The fate of the Charlottesville Police Department’s K-9, which attacked a 13-year-old girl on the 700 block of Prospect Avenue on June 25 after it was accidentally released from a police vehicle, remains uncertain, according to Charlottesville Police spokesman Lieutenant Steve Upman. The Dutch shepherd named Ringo had a recent surgery that was unrelated to the attack, delaying the assessment and overall review from the police department.
The handler, still unnamed by the police department, has been off duty for a vacation and unrelated police training while the dog was sent back to its original trainer for an assessment, according to Upman.
Hospital bills related to the incident should be covered by the Charlottesville Police Department’s insurance, says Upman, but he says the department has not received any bills yet.