Bad doggie gets 10 days in pound for bitting Sheriff’s Officer

Valparaiso, IN, United States (4E) – A 10-pound black and white terrier mix named Heidi is serving a 10-day sentence in a local animal shelter for biting a Porter County Sheriff’s officer trying to serve a warrant last Thursday.

Police reported that Patrolman Justin Reeder was nipped by Heidi, while leaving the house of dog owner, Susan Brown, after failing to serve an arrest warrant.

Brown, who claims she is Mattie Sue Brown, not Susan Brown, lives on County Road 325W, south of U.S. 30 and west of the Aberdeen subdivision.

According to authorities, three county officers, Sgt. Erik Wiseman, Patrolman Darrell Hobgood Jr. and Reeder, approached the resident at around 9 a.m. to serve an arrest warrant on Eric Mills, 25, who is believed to be Brown’s grandson.

The warrant was issued for his non-appearance on court on an a misdemeanor charge, for driving on a suspended license.

County Police Chief Steve Lawrence said Mills also had warrants from other counties.

Investigators reported that Brown, who was with her five dogs that Thursday morning, said that she saw three uniformed officers climbing over her locked iron gate onto the fenced property.

Brown, 74, started screaming profanities at the officers, telling them to leave her property saying that she don’t know them, pointing out that Jack the Ripper could come in with a uniform, too.

The dog owner asked the police to wait while she took the already agitated dogs, inside the house.

She also called her attorney, Robert Harper, on her cell phone as police neared.

After inviting the officers into her home to investigate, Brown informed them that her grandson has not lived there for years and is possibly living with his mother in Indianapolis.

The policemen were leaving when Heidi accosted them at the door and nipped at the toe of Wiseman’s shoe.

Heidi retreated before attacking again and victimizing Reeder with a bite on the back of his calf, tearing a hole in his pants and breaking the skin.

Police then called Animal Control wherein Brown became more hysterical and yelled more profanities.

Brown, a grandmother of eight who claimed she’s a retired nurse, noticed that Reeder’s leg had no blood or bruising.

Meanwhile, an animal control officer arrived and took Heidi into custody.

Brown, who visited Heidi at the animal shelter on Friday said that she is worried about Heidi, a dog she’s owned for about 15 months after rescuing her in a Lake County puppy mill. She also showed a copy of Heidi’s current rabies vaccinations.

Heidi is eating and drinking water at the shelter. Brown praised the nice staff in the shelter for taking care of her dog.

After Heidi’s 10 days at the shelter, a veterinarian would examine her and she would be returned to Brown.

Police reported that Reeder, honored last year by the Indiana Sheriff’s Association for saving a 69-year-old man and his dog in a raging house fire in Washington Township, returned to work Friday.

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