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Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

Dog bite, golf club involved in assault

Man arrested after confrontation between neighbors turns violent.

Did dog bite man, man club dog or man club man?

A 49-year-old man was arrested Sunday after he allegedly snatched a golf club away from a neighbor and hit him with it.

Merced police say the neighbor had been trying to defend himself from the suspect's dog before the attack.

The incident was reported around 11:20 a.m. The alleged victim told officers he was returning to his West 22nd Street home from playing golf and was emptying gear out of his van.

His neighbor, 49-year-old Mark Alan Boyer, approached with three dogs. Two of the dogs were unleashed, according to the alleged victim, said police spokesman Lt. Andre Matthews.

The neighbor said he'd told Boyer before that a leash law required him to keep his dogs on a leash.

As the alleged victim was reminding Boyer about the law, a large black dog belonging to Boyer lunged at the golfer and tried to bite him on the arm.

The man used his golf club to fend off the dog as it bit at the sleeve of his jacket, tearing it. The victim told police that after he swung at the dog, Boyer grabbed the golf club away from him and hit him over the head with it. The victim was bruised, but wasn't seriously hurt, Matthews said.

Police confiscated the club, a No. 3 iron, and booked Boyer into the Merced County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

Boyer was taken into custody at his home, Matthews said. Under questioning, he denied the neighbor's accusations, saying all of his dogs were leashed.

The dogs were left secured at the dog owner's home, Matthews said.

Boyer was released after posting his $30,000 bond on Sunday.

Reporter Victor A. Patton can be reached at (209) 385-2431 or vpatton@mercedsun-star.com.