A police K-9 literally flew into action Friday night when he took down a stalking suspect in Fontana, California.
Officers with the Fontana Police Department arrived in the 17300 block of Valley Boulevard around midnight in response to a call about a man suspected of stalking his estranged wife, according to ABC 7.
However, the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Julio Vasquez, refused to stop his vehicle and led officers on a pursuit.
Police said the “California Highway Patrol assisted in the chase, deploying spike strips, as the suspect continued on the 10, 67 and 91 freeways.”
Officers also used a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver in an attempt to stop Vasquez’s vehicle. Nearly an hour later, the chase ended in Corona, close to the 15 and 91 freeways.
A PIT maneuver refers to when an officer pushes the front quarter of his vehicle into the back side quarter of the suspect’s car, causing it to spin around, according to WHOTV.
Police said Vasquez was uncooperative when the pursuit ended, so they shot out his driver’s side window with rubber pellets. Once the glass was shattered, officers deployed the K-9 who quickly jumped through the opening and onto the suspect.
Video footage shows Vasquez struggling with the K-9 as the dog appears to bite his upper arm.
“The primary function of the K-9 Unit is the use of the canine olfactory ability to locate people and/or contraband. The K-9 unit supports other units department units such as patrol, and narcotics,” the department’s K-9 Unit website stated.
Once he was apprehended, officers took Vasquez to a local hospital where he received treatment for minor injuries from the dog bites.
Authorities said he will be charged with felony stalking and felony evading after he allegedly “violated a restraining order involving his estranged wife by showing up to her work earlier in the day and trying to hit her with his truck.”
Vasquez may also face additional charges for reportedly punching the K-9 during the altercation.
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