By CODE 4 K9 | SWAT/K9 Integration & Advanced Police K9 Training

This video begins after containment has been set on a suspect who is barricaded in his vehicle, seated in the driver’s seat with the window down. I don’t know if any chemical/less-lethal munitions, such as pepper ball, were used. I would believe that an agency as large as Anaheim PD would have access to the platform, but maybe it was unavailable to them at the time. Or perhaps, pepper ball was deployed, and it had no effect on the suspect, which is something I have seen before. Regardless, we will debrief the dog’s performance and the actions of the handler and his cover officers.

The dog is deployed on a longline, which is a good idea, considering the high level of stimulus in the environment he was working in. Additionally, applying a little back pressure on the leash can increase prey drive before apprehending the suspect. You can tell that the dog has been exposed to high-risk stops and closed doors/open windows. Without hesitation, the dog jumps through the window and engages the suspect; however, due to the dog’s size and limited workspace, he was pushed out the window and slipped off the bite. For a brief moment, the dog seemed unsure what to do, but figured it out and jumped through the window again. Although I didn’t hear it, the handler may have given his dog an additional command to jump through the window.

Upon the second attempt, the dog remained on the bite. The handler and the contact team moved up to the vehicle to remove the suspect. For anyone who hasn’t done it, pulling a suspect from the driver’s seat is difficult. Adding a dog to that equation makes it even harder. Although the handler is limited in how he can position his body, I think a cover officer could have pushed up first, providing lethal cover through the windshield. It also gives the handler and the contact team time to assess the suspect’s actions and whether he was armed. Shortly after, an officer opens the passenger side door to assist. Although the intent was good, it would have created unintended consequences. It created a crossfire issue, and the dog could have come off the bite and bitten the officer. Overall, based on the limited information and video, I think the dog and his handler did a great job. Stay safe.