Man released on bail after arrest over suspected fatal XL Bully dog attack
A man who was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and dangerous dog ownership after a 52-year-old man was killed in a dog attack has been released on bail.
Ian Price died in hospital from serious injuries on Thursday afternoon, after he was attacked by two dogs in Stonall, Staffordshire.
A 30-year-old man, arrested in connection to the attack, was released on conditional bail on Saturday.
Staffordshire Police said: “The man arrested in connection with the death of Ian Price, who was attacked by two dogs in Stonnall, has been released on conditional bail.
“The 30-year-old, from the Lichfield area, has been interviewed a number of times and has been released pending further enquiries.
“Our investigation continues at pace as we try to understand more about events leading up to this horrendous attack.”
Local reports suggested that the dogs were likely to be XL Bullies, but DNA tests are underway to confirm the breed.
One of the dogs died after being restrained and the other died after being injected by a vet.
Onlookers told reporters that Mr Price was trying to protect his elderly mother after the dogs broke loose from a property nearby and ran into her garden.
Passers-by tried to help the man, who had suffered fatal wounds to his neck before paramedics rushed him to hospital at 3.12 pm.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said in a statement that staff were unable to save the victim and that ‘nothing more could be done’ for him when he arrived at hospital.
Local reports suggested that the dogs were known to be dangerous in the area and that police had been contacted twice about the dogs’ owner over the past year.
Police said that they reviewed body-worn cameras of the incident and decided not to report it to the Independent Police Office for Conduct (IPOC).
In January, officers were called about two dogs that were off a leash in a field in Stonall and given the owner’s address. When they visited the property, police said the dogs appeared calm and the owner was cooperative.
Police received another call about two XL bullies mounting another dog in the village on 30 March. There were no injuries or reports of an offence.
A spate of incidents involving XL bullies in recent weeks has led the government to implement a ban on the breed of dogs. Rishi Sunak said that there will be an amnesty period where the dogs will be subjected to certain restrictions, including muzzling in public places and being kept on a lead at all times, before the ban comes into force in 2025.
The breed has been linked to 10 deaths since 2021, including the death of a 10-year-old boy that year.
