Police Dog Stabbed - Northland
Northland District
Headquarters
88 Cameron Street,
Whangärei
Thursday October 3,
2013
A Northland Police dog has been stabbed following an armed offender incident west of Whangärei in the early hours of this morning.
Late
yesterday afternoon Police were alerted to a 37-year-old man
believed to be carrying a knife and possibly in possession
of a firearm at his Parakao address.
The man was reported
to have been in an agitated state.
The Northland Armed Offenders Squad (AOS), along with CIB and Public Safety Team (frontline) staff, travelled to the scene.
While Police placing cordons around the man's property, the man has stolen a quad bike from another address and driven off. Police chased the man, who then abandoned the quad bike on farmland and ran off.
AOS and the Police dog handler
started tracking the man through thick bush.
About 4am
they located him in the bush area. The man has then stabbed
the Police dog 'Gus' and then attempted to stab the Police
dog handler.
After a struggle Police managed to subdue and
arrest the man.
The man was taken into custody and
Police are now looking at charges the man is likely to
face.
The Police dog 'Gus' has suffered a punctured lung and has been transported to Veterinary Services Group in Carrington, Auckland for specialist surgery. He is expected to recover from his injuries.
Whangärei/Kaipara Area
Commander Inspector Tracy Philips said Police staff were
faced with a dangerous and fluid situation with an
unpredictable offender.
"We had to track him across some
difficult terrain in the dark.
After 'Gus' was stabbed
his handler and another officer had to carry him out through
heavy bush and steep hills for more than a kilometre."
Ms Phillips said several staff were at the location and a well co-ordinated operation, run from the District Command Centre, led to the apprehension of a dangerous person.
"However, one of our dogs has been injured during
the incident and due to his bravery we averted more serious
injury on our Police officers.
'Gus' is very much a part
of our Police family and we feel for the dog handler who has
witnessed his dog getting seriously injured."
Ms Phillips
says 'Gus' was used as an AOS dog and was trained to protect
his handler.
"He did just that and has paid the price,
but thankfully he has survived."
'Gus' has represented
Northland twice at the National Police Dog
Trials.
ENDS