A family is demanding answers after a 13-year-old boy was bitten by a police dog in Perth’s east on Sunday night.

WARNING: This story contains images that readers may find distressing. 

Police said they were called to an area around Bentley and St James after roughly 10 people reported a group causing “disturbances at several different addresses”.

Once on the scene, officers including those from the canine unit found an adult man and three juveniles.

One of them was 13-year-old Jayden Abraham, who was left with severe injuries to his face, neck and arm after a police dog was deployed.

The teenager was taken directly to Perth Children’s Hospital, where he remains.

Family wants to see body-cam footage

Jayden’s family is outraged and his aunty Shara Abraham has been by his bedside since the attack.

“We don’t like seeing him like that, it’s hurtful, because that’s our baby and he’s too little to go through something so painful and traumatising,” she said through tears.

“He’s only just turned 13, he’s got a lot ahead in life for him.

Ms Abraham said the family wanted to see body-worn camera footage of the incident, so they could understand what happened.

She said Jayden was already handcuffed and restrained when the dog attacked – a claim disputed by Deputy Police Commissioner Kylie Whiteley.

“The body-worn camera does not support that allegation,” she said this morning.

“We are working with the family, so that footage will be available once our investigation is complete and we have managed to interview all the witnesses involved in the incident.”

Police defend use of dog

Deputy Commissioner Whitely could not say whether Jayden was running away from police at the time he was attacked by the dog.

She defended the use of the dog, saying it was “effective” in certain circumstances.

“A police dog’s deployed for very serious offences, and particularly in this instance we’d had 10 calls and they were serious incidents,” she said.

“In the middle of the night, in the dark, it’s unknown who you’re chasing, and so in those circumstances, a police dog may be deployed.”

Deputy Commissioner Whiteley said police were unaware children were involved at the time they decided to use the dog.

“They were responding to vehicles being broken into, homes being broken into and members of the public being confronted, so at that point in time they had no other information other than they were looking for offenders,” Ms Whitely said.

Internal review underway

Jayden has not been charged over the incident and an investigation is ongoing.

A 21-year-old man has been charged with being armed in a way that may cause fear and stealing.

An internal review is underway into the use of the police dog.

“We of course review the deployment of the dog, the use of force, and the actual outcome of that incident,” Ms Whitely said.

“We’ll continue to interview individuals in relation to that and we’re also working with the family.”