The couple wants information about the dog’s housing, training and previous conduct after an April 2025 attack left two people hospitalized.

Nearly a year after an escaped Lubbock Police Department dog attacked two parents walking with their children, the family has asked a state court to help obtain testimony and records before a possible lawsuit against the city and its employees.

Iang “Roy” Huang and Huanhuan “Joy” Wang filed a petition March 5, 2026, under Rule 202 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. The filing is not a lawsuit seeking damages. Instead, it asks a judge to authorize pre-suit discovery so the family can investigate potential claims and identify the people or government entities that may be responsible.

The couple said the attack caused serious physical injuries that continue to affect their ability to work and care for their children. Their filing also alleges that their children, who witnessed the attack, have experienced symptoms associated with trauma exposure.

The city has not responded publicly to the family’s allegations. A city spokesperson said the City Attorney’s Office does not comment on active litigation.

Police confirmed K-9 escaped from handler’s yard

The attack occurred shortly after 8:30 a.m. April 12, 2025, in the 5700 block of 108th Street.

According to an official Lubbock Police Department news release, a police K-9 escaped from its handler’s backyard and attacked two people. A neighbor intervened and fatally shot the dog.

Police said one person suffered serious injuries and another suffered moderate injuries. Both were transported to University Medical Center.

An off-duty police officer contacted dispatch shortly after the initial emergency call and asked for assistance locating his missing K-9. Police later confirmed that the missing dog was the animal involved in the attack.

A subsequently released police report said Wang was knocked down when the dog approached her and the children, causing her to strike her head. Huang attempted to protect his wife and children before the dog turned on him, according to details reported from the redacted police record.

An officer arriving at the scene reported seeing paramedics treat a man for lacerations to his head, face, arms and torso.

The Animal Services report gave a similar account. Wang told an officer that the Belgian Malinois sprinted toward her and the children. Huang attempted to pull the dog away, after which it repeatedly bit and scratched him. One neighbor tried unsuccessfully to distract the dog with food before another neighbor retrieved a firearm and shot it.

The children—a 7-year-old and an infant—were taken inside a nearby home and were not physically injured, according to the report.

Officer disciplined after internal investigation

LPD initially placed the K-9’s handler on administrative leave while its Office of Professional Standards investigated the incident.

In May 2025, the department announced that the officer had received an unpaid suspension and had been reassigned within LPD. Police did not disclose the duration of the suspension in the public announcement.

The department also clarified that the attack was not connected to any law-enforcement operation. Huang, Wang and their children were walking through the neighborhood and were not suspects or participants in a police encounter.

“The LPD takes this incident and the circumstances surrounding it seriously,” the department said when announcing the discipline, according to KCBD’s report on the investigation’s outcome.

The family’s court petition identifies the alleged handler as Officer James Simcik. It lists Simcik, Police Chief Seth Herman, the City of Lubbock and other people or entities identified through the investigation as possible adverse parties in a future lawsuit. Those designations do not establish liability, and no court has determined that the city, the chief or the officer is legally responsible for the family’s injuries.

What the family wants to examine

Under Rule 202 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, a person may ask a court to authorize oral or written depositions before filing a lawsuit. A judge must determine whether allowing the requested examination could prevent a failure or delay of justice, or whether the likely benefit outweighs the burden and expense.

Huang and Wang are seeking information about how the K-9 escaped, the condition of the handler’s residential kennel and whether supervisors had inspected the enclosure.

They also want records concerning:

• Departmental standards for residential K-9 housing, fencing, gates and locks.
• Previous inspections of the handler’s kennel.
• Any earlier escape involving the same dog.
• Any previous bite, attack or reported aggressive behavior.
• The dog’s training and disciplinary history.
• Internal communications and investigative records concerning the attack.

The family’s lawyers said the information would allow them to identify the appropriate defendants and develop specific claims instead of making broad allegations without access to the underlying records.

Department policy assigns responsibility to handlers

The publicly released LPD Canine Unit Procedure and Operation Policy states that handlers are responsible for the safety of people who encounter their dogs both on and off duty.

The policy says police dogs must be kept at a handler’s home or other quarters approved by a K-9 supervisor. When off duty, they generally must be housed in a department-issued kennel. Supervisors are also directed to conduct periodic inspections for cleanliness and safety concerns.

Those provisions are central to the family’s request, but the existence of a policy does not by itself establish that it was violated. The requested records and testimony could show whether the kennel had been approved and inspected, how the dog escaped and whether officials knew of any previous containment or behavioral problems.

A judge must first decide whether the family may use Rule 202 to obtain that information. Regardless of the decision on the petition, Huang and Wang may separately pursue a lawsuit, subject to applicable notice requirements, filing deadlines and governmental-immunity rules.