Police Officer Randall Frederick received the Chief’s CHIP (Community, Honor, Integrity, Pride) Challenge Coin Tuesday, Aug. 11, for his calm, measured response during a call where he was bitten by a family dog.
Police Command Staff received a letter from Round Rock resident Geoff Wightman detailing how Officer Frederick handled himself after being bitten the Wightman’s dog, an Australian Shepherd.
Below is an excerpt from Wightman’s letter:
“When the officer arrived and rang the doorbell earlier than I expected, I ran downstairs, but my four year old son was already at the door with our dog. When my son opened the door and started to approach the Officer, the dog immediately put herself between him and the Officer and ended up biting the Officer twice on the leg – not viciously, but still creating bruises and breaking skin. The Officer was slowly backing up and trying to get her to calm down with outstretched hands. Luckily I was there an instant later and separated her.
“The Officer then proceeded to take my report about the issue I had originally called about in a very calm and professional manner. I asked him if my dog got him and he said “Yeah a little – I am sorry I should have called first.” (He did not need to call or apologize at all). Protocol necessitated he call in the bite (understandable) so that Animal Control could take a report and do a rabies vaccination check and the standard 10 day in home quarantine – BUT that’s where it ended. The Officer did not strike back against my dog during the incident, did not act disproportionately, he did not file charges or wish her punished, but instead said, ‘She was just doing her job.’
“… I want everyone to know that in Round Rock, TX we have some pretty darn fine police officers who do a job a lot of the time without much thanks or recognition. This little incident should show you what kind of caliber people we have protecting us and maybe they should get a little credit from time to time for doing things right that nationally seem to be very difficult. I will be shaking all RRPD Officers hands when I see them from now on.”
You can read all of Wightman’s letter here on the Police Facebook page.
