MBPJ: Dog catcher did not hit senior citizen intentionally

 

The authorities did not charge the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) dog catcher who struck a senior citizen because the incident was unintentional.

In a statement today, MBPJ said the March 22 incident saw senior citizen - Patrick Khoo - trying to stop the dog catcher.

Khoo lodged a police report two days later, alleging that he was injured by the dog catcher - an incident caught on video and widely shared online.

However, prosecutors instead charged Khoo on March 31 with obstructing a civil servant from conducting their duties.

"No charges were laid against the MBPJ personnel because the dog-catching tool struck the complainant unintentionally during a struggle," said MBPJ in a statement today.

The video clip depicting the incident in Taman Kanagapuram sparked outrage online. It also led to Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung demanding an explanation from MBPJ's integrity unit.

Body cams

Meanwhile, the council said its internal investigation into the matter has resulted in recommendations for the use of body cameras by staff conducting "low-risk" operations.

"Footages of our low-risk operations will be recorded by senior staff. High-risk operations will be conducted alongside the police.

"To ensure that the dog-catching process is transparent, MBPJ will invite NGOs and resident associations to join operations," said MBPJ.

MBPJ said it had conducted 12 dog-catching operations in Taman Kanagapuram since February following public complaints.

The council warned that wild dogs posed a danger to children and caused hygiene problems.

"Apart from feral cats, bats and monkeys, wild dogs can also spread the deadly rabies virus," said MBPJ. - Mkini