Las Vegas, NV (KXNT) – A Las Vegas Metro Police K-9 officer suffered serious injuries after he was stabbed multiple times by a suicidal man on Friday afternoon.
Police were originally called out to an apartment complex near Las Vegas Boulevard and Charleston just after 1pm. They made contact with the man, but he refused to leave his residence. They also said he was threatening to harm himself with a knife.
Not long after Metro’s arrival, the man then set his apartment on fire and a barricade situation ensued.
Following the arrival of Metro SWAT, along with crisis negotiators and K-9 units, LVMPD said that the man came out of his apartment and was asked to drop the knife and surrender.
Instead, they say he quickly closed the distance on officers who deployed less-lethal options including K9 Enzo. Enzo bit the subject, but the man was able to stab Enzo multiple times. SWAT officers continued to use less-lethal options and were able to take the man, identified over the weekend as 64-year-old Thurman Lowe, into custody.
Enzo was airlifted to a local veterinary clinic for emergency surgery, and Metro says he is expected to survive. Metro sent out updates over the weekend on Enzo's condition, saying the officer officer continued to improve.
Thurman was taken to U.M.C. Trauma for surgery of stab wound that Metro said were self-inflicted.