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A Happy Valley couple mauled by an off-duty police dog while out for a brisk walk is due to discuss a half-million-dollar settlement with the City of Portland today (Wednesday), according to a City Council memo recommending the settlement.
The Dog Appeared with No Owner in Sight
After the attack on March 12, 2021, near Southeast Carmichael Court and Ridgecrest Road, Jason and Kristina Norris sued the city for $1.7 million.
According to the lawsuit, they were walking along a paved footpath when an unleashed German Shepherd, ‘with no owner in sight,’ bit Kristina Norris on the left forearm before dragging her to the ground.
When her husband came to her assistance, the dog’s teeth severely injured his left hand. The dog then proceeded to bite his lower left leg. The attack lasted for several minutes while the couple screamed for help. According to the lawsuit, the couple had stopped walking to let the dog pass before the attack occurred.
A neighbor in the vicinity called 911. When the ambulance arrived, both Jason and Kristina were bleeding heavily. Paramedics transported them to Oregon Health & Science University for treatment.
The court papers reveal that after the ambulance left the scene, a Portland police officer, Jeffrey Dorn, appeared at the scene, stating that the German Shepherd was under his care. He said the dog was a member of the Portland Police Canine Unit.
The lawsuit alleges that Jeffrey Dorn and his wife Sarah were negligent in caring for the dog. They had failed to ensure that their property was adequately fenced. They could have prevented the canine’s departure from the property and ‘causing foreseeable harm to pedestrians in the neighborhood,’ according to the lawsuit.
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