A man, who was reportedly under the influence of drugs, bit and stabbed a K-9 dog while being taken for custody by the police on April 20, 2022.
Authorities from Fairfield, California, a town northeast of San Francisco, reported that the dog, named Cort, has already received treatment from the veterinary hospital and is presently recuperating from its injuries at home with its handler.
Burglary Report
In the police department’s social media account, the police recounted that on the afternoon of the said date, they received a distress call from an elderly victim, claiming that a man had entered their house.
At about the same time and vicinity, an Amazon delivery man also reported to the police that a man was threatening to kill him and steal his delivery truck. They found out that they were dealing with the same suspect.
When the police arrived at the victim’s house, the man was running around inside the house and refused to exit the premise. Hence, the police attempted numerous de-escalation techniques and tools to get the suspect to surrender.
They then dispatched their K-9 unit and attempted to “contact” the man. No information was given as to what transpired inside the house, but the police dog, Cort, came out with a bite on its face and a knife wound on its left side.
The police eventually apprehended the man and brought him to the hospital due to some injuries. It was not clear whether the injuries were due to drug use or attributed to the dog.
The male suspect, Kurt Dasilva, 44, was then taken into custody at the Solano County Jail for burglary, suspicion of carjacking, harming a K-9 police unit, and obstructing and resisting a public officer. The man was also charged with a parole violation.
The K-9 unit, Cort, was treated at the UC Davis Veterinary Hospital. The police department praised Cort’s help and action in the apprehension of the suspect.
The department posted on its social media page, “We wish K9 Cort a speedy recovery, and we are proud of our officer’s professionalism, commitment to service, and the use of de-escalation techniques.”
The Risks K-9 Units Face
K-9 units are an indispensable part of law enforcement. They are extremely hardworking and face the same risks as their human officers.
But, it is not just the dangers of going into the scene of the crime or rescuing someone in distress that K-9 units face. There are also some other factors that affect their effectiveness.
First is the lack of budget. Maintaining a K-9 unit requires proper financial support as regards equipment, medical needs, and other necessities for the dog.
The second is poor handling of the dogs by some officers. Not all handlers are perfect, and a very small percentage may be shoddy in their work which can cause costly errors during an operation.
Inadequate training of the dogs is also another factor. K-9 units should be consistently and frequently trained to reinforce their efficiency and minimize mistakes on the scene.
Lastly, dogs face danger when exposed to drugs. Sniffing a prohibited drug during an operation could just as easily cause an overdose in many police dogs.
