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A man was arrested after injuring a Florida’s Manatee County K-9 with a knife while evading law enforcement officers who were pursuing him for stealing a car.
According to a press release from the Manatee County Sheriff’s department in Florida, Christopher Darlington slashed K-9 Loki on October 14, 2022. The 36-year-old injured the K-9 shortly after being chased by officers who spotted him in a stolen car in the Walmart parking lot on State Road 64 in Bradenton.
Watch: Video shows K-9 being attacked by a suspect evading arrest
Bodycam footage shows a K-9 unit inside a home where Darlington had reportedly barricaded himself after being pursued by authorities. In the video, the officers issued multiple warnings to Darlington, asking him to surrender before they barged through the door. They located him inside the master bedroom, armed with two knives.
As the K-9 unit approached the suspect, Darlington swung his knife at the dog, slashing him on his nose and face. The 7-year-old Belgian Malinois was taken to an area Veterinary Hospital for treatment, where he received 12 stitches. Authorities said that Loki was expected to make a full recovery. Officials also said that there were no other injuries in the incident.
The suspect who injured Florida’s Manatee County K-9 also rammed into a patrol car
Reportedly, Christopher Darlington rammed into a Manatee County Sheriff’s officers' patrol vehicle shortly after being spotted in the Florida Walmart parking lot. He then fled the scene heading west on State Road 64, where he was found by a sheriff's office helicopter.
A press release by the department read:
"When the driver saw deputies, he intentionally rammed an MCSO patrol vehicle with the stolen car, then drove over a shopping cart corral and headed west on SR 64.”
The sheriff's helicopter unit spotted Christopher Darlington veering off the main road, crashing into a fence before running off into an unoccupied house on 27th Street E.
Darlington was found inside a house where he was arrested by deputies who found a “trafficking quantity of fentanyl on the suspect.”
Darlington had two outstanding warrants in Florida
After his arrest, the sheriff's office said they discovered the suspect had two outstanding warrants for driving under the influence and driving without a license. He was also found with stolen property from the unoccupied house.
Darlington was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, aggravated battery, armed burglary, felony criminal mischief, trafficking fentanyl and other outstanding warrants for contempt of court. He was also charged with aggravated battery on a police canine for attacking the K-9.
