A police officer whose dog injured a member of the public has been charged with racially aggravated wounding.
West Midlands Police constable Paul Birch is accused of unlawfully and maliciously causing grievous bodily harm to a man who was with a group of travellers.
The charge against the 50-year-old relates to an incident at the site of the former North Worcestershire Golf Course at Northfield, Birmingham, on September 4 last year.
The charge alleges the offence was racially aggravated contrary to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct said the injured man was taken to hospital after being bitten by a West Midlands Police dog.
An IOPC investigation, which investigated how and why the dog was deployed, was completed in May and the Crown Prosecution Service authorised the charge last month.
Pc Birch will appear before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
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