A man was killed Thursday morning in East Toledo when a dog bit him while he suffered a seizure.
Javon Stokes, 26, whose nickname was “Foofur,” was taken following the 9:45 a.m. incident in the 500 block of Potter Street to Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center, where he was declared dead at 10:24 a.m.
The Lucas County Coroner’s Office on Friday declared the death an accident following an autopsy that confirmed the dog bite as its cause. Coroner Diane Scala-Barnett had previously told The Blade that Mr. Stokes suffered a grand mal seizure during which the dog bit his neck.
Amanda Knezevich, who co-owns the dog involved with fiance Austin Dotson, said no one saw Mr. Stokes go down with the seizure — a condition for which he was supposed to be taking medication — but her two children went to get something to drink, saw the dog on him, and immediately informed her.
Ms. Knezevich said she saw Jackson, a young “pit bull,” nudging and licking Mr. Stokes. She believes Jackson was trying to help Mr. Stokes and wake him up as the dog did not have any blood on him. She was able to pull Jackson off without any difficulty.
"That dog loved [Mr. Stokes] more than he loved his own owners, me and Austin,” Ms. Knezevich said, noting the canine had never before seen someone have a seizure. “That dog was his best friend. He slept with him.”
The Lucas County Canine Care & Control responded and Mr. Dotson surrendered Jackson to the agency at the scene. Kelly Sears, director of the county shelter, said the dog will likely be euthanized.
"It's a very difficult situation,” she said. "It's just awful for everyone."
Ms. Knezevich said Jackson was not vicious and was playing with police when they arrived on scene. Ms. Sears said the dog was friendly with canine control officers at the scene and has continued to be friendly with shelter staff.
She said it’s possible Jackson interpreted Mr. Stokes’ seizure as a threat.
"It's definitely been known to happen,” Ms. Sears said. "The violent movement and thrashing scares them and causes a reaction."
Reports from both Toledo police and the county shelter state Jackson attacked Mr. Stokes during the seizure.
Maxine Stokes, Mr. Stokes’ mother, said Jackson’s owners need to be held accountable. She wants officials to file criminal charges against Ms. Knezevich and Mr. Dotson, and for them to serve time behind bars.
"I know that's your pet, that you love him, but take ownership of what your dog did to my son,” Ms. Stokes said.
Because of the open investigation, she continued, "I couldn't touch my son because of this. I couldn't stroke his hair. I couldn't kiss his forehead."
Just a month ago, another Toledoan was killed by a pet dog. Emily Kahl, 31, was home alone at the time of the incident. She was known to have a seizure disorder, her roommate and the dog’s owner told a 911 call-taker. The coroner’s office ruled she died of dog-bite trauma to the neck but it is impossible to determine if Ms. Kahl had a seizure before or during the time she was bitten.
The involved dog, a “pit bull” named Romeo, was seized by the county shelter and later surrendered by Thomas Holloway. He was euthanized, and no charges have been filed in the case.
Jackson had one prior bite on record with the county shelter. On Aug. 2, the dog reportedly left the Potter Street home’s front porch and bit a passing neighbor on the hand, causing a slight puncture wound to a thumb, a report states. The victim indicated he did not plan to seek medical treatment.
At the time, Ms. Knezevich told canine control officers Jackson had been in the home only about two weeks after he was acquired from a relative. She was cited for a dog running at large and warned to get a rabies shot and license for the new dog. The county shelter had planned to check back Aug. 23 to see whether that had happened.
An online fund-raiser for funeral expenses for Mr. Stokes’ family has been established at gofundme.com under the title “Funeral expenses.”
First Published August 13, 2021, 3:18 p.m.
