Stockton K-9 Thor Lays Hammer On Suspect Reaching For Gun
STOCKTON (CBS13) — A Stockton Police dog captured a suspect who was reaching for his gun, the department said on Sunday.
Police were responding to a report of a restraining order violation on East Hazelton Avenue. The 38-year-old woman said Juan Hernandez, 34, had come on Saturday and assaulted her while brandishing a firearm.
Officers confronted Hernandez, who had returned to the home on Sunday, on the side of the house, holding a hammer. When they told him to put it down, Hernandez fled into the backyard.
K-9 officer Thor was then sent after the suspect. Seeing the pursuing police dog, Hernandez turned to face Thor and reached into his left pocket.
Thor then brought down the hammer on the suspect's arm, sending the gun the suspect was reaching for flying out of his hand.
"They are trained to alert on certain things, and when they see a suspect reaching into their pocket they know something is going to be coming out," said Officer Joe Silva
Hernandez was apprehended and faces burglary and weapons charges, as well as resisting arrest.
In the end, the K-9 kept a tense situation from becoming something much more tragic.
"They are trained to actually seek out the threat, and Thor did that tonight which obviously saved either someone living at that house, a neighbor and our officer from dealing with someone that was armed with a firearm," Silva said.
