PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) - The City of Portland will pay a local couple $500,000 to settle a lawsuit over a police dog attack.

The lawsuit was filed in March of 2023, and the couple had asked for $1.7 million.

In March of 2021, Jason and Kristina Norris were walking along a public path with their puppy near their home in Happy Valley when an off-duty K9 lunged at them, unprovoked, brutally biting Kristina’s arm and dragging her to the ground.

The lawsuit says Jason tried to pull the dog away from his wife and the K9 then attacked him, severely biting his hand and leg.

K9 Siggi had escaped from now retired Portland Police Bureau Sgt. Dorn’s yard by chewing through a wooden fence.

“I’ve sat here many times and spoken highly and appreciative of the good work of the police bureau, so was also important for me to be here to accept responsibility for when we fall short and that’s what we’re going to do this morning,” said PPB Chief Bob Day.

“We made a mistake, and I’m glad that we’re apologizing,” Mayor Ted Wheeler said. “We’re owning up to it and we’re taking the steps necessary to be able to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.”

The city attorney want to note that K9 Siggi had faithfully served the bureau for nearly seven years without any other behavioral issues. He said the city took immediate action by retiring the dog and rehomed him to a specialized facility in Texas that rehabilitates and houses working dogs like him.

He also said Sgt. Dorn, who has since retired, was a highly experienced K9 handler and has had five different police dogs in the same yard with no problems. He was both surprised and saddened it happened.

Portland police also updated its policies in the housing and management of police dogs, including mandatory yearly inspections of all handlers yards and that K9s be kept kenneled or on a leash when outside of the kennel.