DETROIT – The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office is coming under fire for the decision not to file charges in a dog mauling case.
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The victim, Qaflah Samaha, is a 78-year-old grandmother from Hamtramck. The dog is owned by Hamtramck police officer Michael Stout.
According to Samaha, the attack happened April 21, 2012, as she was walking to her home.
Samaha said the dog, a large pit-bull, jumped over its fenced-in enclosure, and began biting her. Samaha suffered severe damage to both arms and one of her fingers was bitten off during the attack. Doctors were unable to re-attach the finger.
Officer Stout was placed on administrative leave while Michigan State Police investigated the incident.
On June 12, Michigan State Police sent a warrant request to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, but the request for charges was denied.
The Arab-American Civil Rights League is outraged by the decision not to bring charges and said the move "turns a blind eye and protects their own, marginalizing the interests of the Arab-American community."
According to a statement released by the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, the warrant request was denied after an independent investigation conducted by the Prosecutor's Office turned up conflicting information.
"The investigation revealed that the dog was inside Officer Stout's backyard at the time of the incident. In addition, the WCPO was unable to prove that the victim has not trespassed on to the property, and that she had not provoked the dog leading up to the attack," Prosecutor Kym Worthy said.
The statement goes on to say the warrant was denied because of "insufficient evidence to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt."
The dog was described as a Cane Corso, a large pit-bull breed, known for its large size and ferocity.
It is being held by a nearby Humane Society.