BY JEN NOWELL
Daily Post Staff Writer
The attorney representing the Palo Alto teen who claims he was attacked by a police dog as officers looked on told the Post yesterday that the dog “bit off a chunk” of the boy’s leg.
Alacia Hafner filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of her son, Tajae Murray, on May 2. It’s in regards to an April 7, 2016, incident in which Murray was at the corner of Bryant Street and Bryant Court. Officers drove up to Murray and his friends with sirens on, the suit said. One of the officers allegedly confronted Murray with her gun drawn.
During the arrest, a police dog “attacked” Murray even though the teen didn’t run, the suit said. Murray’s attorney, Bob Khakshooy of Beverly Hills, said the teen also had his hands up.
May need plastic surgery
“The police dog was allowed and encouraged to maul, bite, scratch and attack (Murray) all over his body,” the suit stated.
The teen is receiving regular treatment and will likely need plastic surgery, the attorney said.
Prior to the lawsuit, Murray filed a claim with the city in October that was rejected. While there’s police video of the incident, Khakshooy said they haven’t released it. Now, with the case in litigation, he said he will get the video through discovery, where both sides share information, in four to five months.
‘Minding his own business’
Khakshooy said Murray did not commit any crimes before being arrested and was never charged.
“You have this young gentleman who is just minding his own business, and before you know it, police attempted to arrest him for no reason,” Khakshooy said.
But Khakshooy said he did not want to press for criminal charges against the cops or get them fired. Murray just wants the costs of his injuries covered, he said.
