KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Public safety officers’ choice to send in a police dog when a suspect acted as if he might be reaching for a gun proved to be a smart decision, as the suspect only had an airsoft-style handgun. The K9 bit the suspect, giving police time to move in and take the suspect into custody.
The incident came at the end of a long string of events that began with a hit-and-run, said the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety.
Around 12:46 a.m. Thursday, a driver reported a hit-and-run near North Street and Rose Street. The driver followed the suspect, and at one point the suspect pointed what appeared to be a handgun at him.
After Kalamazoo Public Safety officers took over the pursuit, the suspect was pulled over but took off. Eventually, he stopped on Catherine Street at W. Main Street, got out of his vehicle and officers gave him instructions. Instead of obeying, the suspect “reached into his pockets and looked back at the vehicle,” said a department release.
Concerned the suspect might be reaching for a gun — and unaware he had only an airsoft gun — officers sent in a police dog, which bit the suspect while officers moved in to make the arrest.
The suspect, a 28-year-old man from Galesburg, was treated at Bronson Hospital for minor injuries and is facing charges that include possession of heroin, marijuana, and methemphetamine, along with various resisting and fleeing charges.
If you have further information, call the Kalamazoo Public Safety Department at 269-337-8139 or anonymously contact Silent Observer at 269-343-2100.
