Police officers and the cities that employ them long have had governmental immunity from suits in Texas, because an officer’s job often involves life-or-death emergencies. But is that immunity in effect when a police dog attacks an officer?

In City of Houston v. David Jenkins, Houston’s 14th Court of Appeals says no to that question, thanks to the persuasive argument of Edward Allen, a Houston associate with Wilhite & Lea who represents Jenkins, the plaintiff.