Bend police K-9 bites man with knife who officers say refused to follow commands
Incident began with dispute at medical marijuana dispensary
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Bend man who displayed a knife while disputing his bill at a medical marijuana dispensary Friday evening later refused to follow officers' commands and was bitten by a police K-9 before being taken into custody, officers said.
Police responded around 6:35 p.m. to a reported weapons offense at the Southeast Third Street dispensary, Sgt. R.C. Bigelow said.
An employee reported a man wearing a camouflaged face mask entered the store and got aggressive during a dispute over his bill. The worker said the man took a knife from a pocket and displayed it before leaving the store.
The employee didn’t know the man’s name but said they’d had problems with him in the past. A Deschutes County 911 dispatcher helped identify the suspect, based on previous calls to the dispensary, and told responding officers.
Officers learned the man fled just before they arrived, Bigelow said. They interviewed employees and watch video of the incident, confirming the suspect.
An officer found the man in the parking lot about two blocks away, Bigelow said.
During the encounter with officers the man was repeatedly told to stop putting his hands in his pockets, the sergeant said. When he refused to comply, the man was ordered to get down on the ground -- and was warned that police K-9 Rony, on the scene with his partner, might bite him if he did not comply, Bigelow said.
When the man moved forward, toward the officers, one reacted by deploying OC spray (pepper spray) in his direction. When he reached into his pocket again, the K-9 officer deployed Rony, who bit the man on the upper left arm, Bigelow said.
Officers then were able to put the man in handcuffs and treated his injury until medics arrived. A folding knife was found on the man’s person after he was taken into custody.
The suspect was taken to St. Charles Bend for treatment and was issued a citation in lieu of custody on charges of second-degree burglary, menacing, interfering with a police officer and resisting arrest.
