California Officers Shoot Suspect After He Stabs K-9

A knife-wielding suspect was shot by Fullerton, CA, police after stabbing a police K-9 early Wednesday morning, authorities said.

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January 7, 2016

California Officers Shoot Suspect After He Stabs K-9 — Fullerton PD K-9 Rotar was stabbed and is expected to be back on duty in a week. (Photo: Fullerton PD)

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A knife-wielding suspect was shot by Fullerton, CA, police after stabbing a police K-9 early Wednesday morning, authorities said.

Officers responded to a report of a male brandishing a weapon in the 1100 block of E. Chapman Avenue at about 1 a.m.

At the scene, police ordered the suspect, later identified as Jimmy Lastra, 42, of Artesia, to drop his knife but he repeatedly refused. That's when police say they used non-lethal sponge rounds to no avail.

K-9 Rotar was then deployed in an attempt to bring Lastra into custody. The suspect stabbed K-9 Rotar, and that's when Fullerton police opened fire.

The suspect was shot and transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. K-9 Rotar was treated for minor injuries at Yorba Regional Animal Hospital in Anaheim. He's expected to return to work in about a week, police told ABC 7 TV.

Topics:the west K-9 California agencies Officer-Involved Shootings Special Units Patrol

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