Sheriff’s office shares grim photo after Alabama deputy’s ear was ‘torn and bitten’

A sheriff’s office in northern Alabama is revealing graphic details of one deputy’s injuries to illustrate the dangers faced by law enforcement officers.

The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office even went so far as to post a photo of the deputy’s mangled ear.

“Doctors were unable to reattach the ear,” the department wrote. “He will have to look at reconstructive surgery. The deputy was treated and released. Please continue to pray for his recovery and his family. This is a reminder that no call is routine.”

The deputy is now recovering at home — “obviously in pain” — after being released from the hospital, according to the sheriff’s office. His identity has not been released.

The injury occurred this week when he was called to assist emergency medical services as they tried to subdue a “subject threatening suicide in the Hulaco area,” authorities said. The area is about 70 miles northeast of Birmingham.

Investigators say a suicide was prevented, but the “deputy’s ear was bitten and torn” during a struggle with the person.

“They apparently wanted to die, but wanted it to be done at the hands of law enforcement,” Mike Swafford of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office told WAFF. “The individual latched on to our deputy’s ear and ultimately biting a good portion of it off.”

The suspect, a 35-year-old man, was later admitted to a facility for a psychiatric evaluation, the station reported.

The deputy was taken to a Huntsville hospital “with non-life threatening injuries,” and the person accused of biting him was arrested, officials said.

“We appreciate the community’s thoughts and prayers for him and his family,” the department wrote. “No one wants to receive the call that their loved one has been hurt and we know that can take an emotional toll.”

This story was originally published December 16, 2021 at 6:50 AM with the headline "Sheriff’s office shares grim photo after Alabama deputy’s ear was ‘torn and bitten’."