Police Dog ‘Writes’ Witness Statement, Angers Officials

British officers who used a police dog named Peach to ‘write’ a witness statement have drawn the ire of local officials.

Officers from West Midlands Police wrote the document in Peach’s name, complete with an inked paw print signature. The statement was issued in response to repeated requests from the Crown Prosecution Service, an agency that prosecutes criminal cases in England and Wales.

According to The Telegraph, the Crown Prosecution Service mistakenly assumed the name listed on a police report belonged to a human witness. Officers notified the agency that the name “PD Peach” was referring to the department’s canine unit, with the first initials standing for police dog.

When the agency continued to send requests for a witness statement from PD Peach, frustrated officers complied with the request by writing the following:

“I chase him, I bite him, Bad man, He tasty, Good boy, Good boy Peach.”

After the document was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service, a copy was displayed on a wall in the West Midlands police station for the amusement of fellow officers. A picture of the statement made its way onto Facebook and several area police departments shared the story on Twitter.

ITV writes that the public posting angered members of the Crown Prosecution Service, who felt it mocked the agency. Their complaints have sparked an investigation into the incident.

Julian Harper, of the West Midlands Police Department, stated the following:

“The Professional Standards Department are looking into this, early inquiries suggest it is a light-hearted exchange as a result of a misunderstanding around a police dog and a police officer. The matter will be investigated.”

Do you think the officers were wrong to use a police dog named Peach to ‘write’ a witness statement?