Kent police dog stabbed, seriously injured by suspect
K-9 Kato with his Kent police handler, officer E. Tung
KENT -- A Kent police dog was stabbed and received serious wounds when confronting a domestic violence assault suspect in Des Moines Tuesday, police said.
"Our K-9 handler and K-9 (named) Kato were assisting Des Moines Police Department with a track of a DV (domestic violence), Assault 1 suspect in the area of 214th and 13th in Des Moines," a Kent police detective Melanie Frazier said. "During the track, K-9 Kato located the suspect during which time the suspect stabbed K-9 Kato. The suspect was apprehended.
"Kato suffered serious wounds and is at the veterinary hospital awaiting to go in for surgery," she said.
Frazier said late Tuesday night that Kato was in stable condition.
The Des Moines Police Department said the incident began when two brothers were fighting in the 21400 block of 13th Avenue South. One brother hit the other one on the head with an object and then fled, Des Moines police said. The injured brother was taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.
Police tracked down the other brother near 216th Street, police said. Kent police sent in Kato to subdue the suspect, but the dog was stabbed. Police then used a Taser and pepper spray on the suspect and took him into custody and transported him to Highline Hospital for treatment of his injuries.
K-9 Kato, a German shepherd, has been working on the Kent police force for nearly two years.