Deputy who broke his K-9’s leg after it bit him may not face charges, SC cops say
A deputy who repeatedly “slammed” his police dog during a training exercise in South Carolina may not face charges, new reports say.
Jacob Saxon was on the job with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office when his K-9, Magnum, bit him in January, WSPA reported.
“The officer handled the situation incorrectly and it resulted in an injury to the dog,” Sheriff Chad McBride told the station.
Newly released documents say Saxon had “slammed Magnum on the ground several times,” according to the records obtained Tuesday by the Independent Mail.
The dog had trouble walking as its hind leg “looked like a deer’s leg after it had been shot,” the Independent Mail reports.
It turns out, Magnum had a broken bone and underwent surgery, WHNS reported.
Soon after the incident, Saxon resigned and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division started examining the case, according to the station.
Now, Anderson County officials say the investigation is over and that the state attorney general doesn’t think there’s “enough evidence to prosecute the officer,” WYFF reports.
The state office doesn’t recommend criminal charges in the case, the Independent Mail reports.
Officials had also looked into Saxon’s potential steroid use but said it couldn’t get proof to ask for a drug test, WYFF reports.
The former deputy declined to comment to the Independent Mail.
McClatchy newsgroup contacted Anderson County officials Thursday to request information but didn’t receive a response.
As for Magnum, the dog left the sheriff’s office and was adopted, according to WYFF.
This story was originally published August 1, 2019 at 2:03 PM with the headline "Deputy who broke his K-9’s leg after it bit him may not face charges, SC cops say."
