Man charged with animal cruelty after police dog was attacked while detaining arson suspect
A man has been charged with cruelty to an animal after a police dog was attacked while helping to detain an arson suspect.
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Police dog Snow was attacked in a park off Millfields Road as police were investigating a series of suspicious fires in Bilston in the early hours of Friday.
West Midlands Police officers were called out to the fires at around 3.30am, which caused damage to the Horse and Jockey pub and multiple vehicles, and identified a man in the park as a suspect.
Officers arrested the man, who had a dog with him. Snow the police dog was attacked but not injured in the incident, the force said today.
Lee Potts, aged 39, and of Hawkins Place in Bilston, has now been charged with cruelty to an animal, public order offences and having a dog dangerously out of control. He was due to appear in front of magistrates today.
The investigation into the fires in Bilston is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact West Midlands Police using Live Chat on the force website or the 101 phone number, citing reference number 350 of June 7.
