Chula Vista Police Department deployed a K-9 to assist in arresting a man who reportedly was aggressive and erratic on Saturday in downtown Chula Vista after refusing police orders, said department officials.
Authorities received several calls just after midnight of a man punching and kicking people and vehicles in the 200 Block of 3rd Avenue. According to a CVPD statement, the man assaulted multiple people with elbows and fists.
According to a department statement, the first officer arrived at the scene within two minutes of receiving the call and ordered the man to the ground. Video footage circulating social media showed the officer making initial contact with the man, who managed to take off the boot and then lunged at the officer.
The officer ran toward his car to retrieve a K9 as the man turned away, and faced the large crowd of bystanders to kick his boot in their direction. At that point, the officer dispatched the K9 who took down the man and assisted the officer in the arrest.
“K9s are deployed according to policy in order to arrest dangerous persons while reducing [the] further danger to the public or other officers. They’re trained to hold onto a suspect until they can be taken into custody by an officer,” the Chula Vista Police Department wrote in a statement.
The footage showed at least five officers arriving at the scene once the man was on the ground. The initial officer removed the K9, who made contact with the man for about 40 seconds of the video.
The department said the man assaulted another officer while custody as they waited on paramedics.
The man was arrested on multiple counts of assault, including assaulting a police officer and taken to the hospital for treatment.
No one was seriously injured as a result of the incident or the takedown.
“Thank you to all the citizens and business owners who reached out to us for help, and to the many bystanders that tried to control the person’s erratic behavior before we arrived,” CVPD officials wrote in a statement. “We will continue to keep Downtown Chula Vista safe for our community to enjoy”.
Authorities have not released additional information.
