MASON, Ohio --
A Mason man was charged with teasing a police dog.
According to a police report, Officer Bradley Walker was responding to a crash at the Mason Pub early Sunday morning when his K-9 officer, Timber, began barking.
Walker said he observed 25-year-old Ryan Stephens with his face about 2 inches from the rear window of the police vehicle, barking and hissing at Timber.
When Walker questioned Stephens about why he was barking at the dog, Stephens replied, "He started it. He was harassing me."
Walker said he believed Stephens was intoxicated because he smelled of alcohol and his speech was slurred.
Stephens is to appear April 21 in municipal court on a misdemeanor citation of willfully teasing a police K9 officer.
Walker said it's dangerous to incite the dogs while they're locked inside the vehicle.
"Everything is metal in here, and a dog could easily get his tooth caught in one of these grates here and rip his tooth out and cause severe dental trauma to get at one of these people that is harassing him," Walker said.
Walker said it's also dangerous to person doing the harassing.
"If the door was actually left unlocked or something, and a drunk individual or an intoxicated individual opens the door, he has a very good likelihood of getting bit," Walker said.
Copyright 2011 by WLWT.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
