Dogs and humans have been working together for thousands of years.
In most major cities, police units use dogs to sniff out illegal materials, search buildings, and track criminals.
But all hell broke loose after a Florida man sank his teeth into a police K-9’s ear.
The first K9 officers were used in New York City in 1907.
Today, dogs play a significant role in police departments across the country.
There are more than 50,000 K9 police dogs in the United States that perform a range of duties and services that humans cannot.
Since police dogs live with their handlers while on duty and after retirement, strong bonds are often developed between an officer and his K9.
And a couple of officers in Florida recently found themselves in a scary situation with their K9 and two criminals.
The incident took place at a 7-Eleven in Davenport at around 8:30 on a Monday morning.
Deputies responded to a call about two men sleeping in their vehicles.
“The two men were asleep in the front of a black 2006 Honda Accord that was parked at one of the pumps at a gas station,” the Polk County Sheriff’s Office wrote on social media. “In the back seat was a 4-year-old girl (a relative to Elliot).”
The deputies first decided to check on the passengers, 26-year-old Angel Acosta Calduch in the driver’s seat and 26-year-old Elliot Lugo Trinidad in the passenger’s seat, and make sure everyone was OK.
But all hell broke loose when the deputies woke them up from their slumber.
Calduch attempted to start the car, but a deputy intervened, and a scuffle broke out between them.
“Angel was hitting, pushing, and even biting a deputy,” PCSO wrote. “At that point, the deputy pushed his magic doggy button and out popped K9 Zorak from the patrol car.”
But Calduch flipped the script and bit the police dog on its ear.
“When Zorak entered the fray, Angel grabbed the dog and then began biting the dog’s ear,” PCSO wrote. “As you might imagine, that didn’t sit well with Zorak’s human partner who immediately put Angel into time-out.”
As the deputy fought with Calduch, the passenger grabbed the four-year-old girl and ran into traffic with her.
“A very busy area at 8:30 am on a Monday, and drivers were maneuvering quickly to avoid Elliot and the girl,” PCSO wrote.
The other deputy took off after the passenger and rescued the girl while the other deputy subdued the driver.
Police searched the vehicles once both men were in custody and found “cocaine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.”
Fortunately, the four-year-old girl was unharmed.
But the two men were taken into custody and charged with possession of cocaine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.
“Angel got charged for battery on LEO, battery on K9, and resisting,” PCSO wrote. “Elliot was charged with possession of a stolen firearm he had on him (out of Orlando), battery on LEO, resisting, and child abuse.”
As for the dog and the deputy, they are both fine and did not receive severe injuries.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
