‘I’ve never seen anyone bite the dog.’ Roanoke officer, K9 attacked while trying to make arrest

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Police officers often work in pairs, and for Officer Mike Thompson, his partner Loki knows him pretty well.

“We’re around each other so much that I can tell when he’s going to move, when he’s not going to move,” said Sergeant Thompson.

Loki is an 8-year-old German shepherd and has been with Officer Thompson since 2015.

“His job as a patrol dog is to apprehend fleeing suspects; he is very good at what he does,” said Thompson.

The night of July 23rd, Loki was put to the test when a call came in for a spotting of a man involved in several property crimes.

He had been known to travel across the pedestrian bridge between downtown and Hotel Roanoke, so that’s where Thompson parked. A minute later, Thompson saw the man in question.

“We make eye contact and start talking, and at that point he kept walking away from me, I asked him not to run and then pleaded for him not to run, but he did run,” said Thompson.

During this initial encounter Loki was still in Thompson’s car. But with a push of a button on the officer’s vest, Loki was released.

“Loki caught up with him first and he apprehended him on the right arm. That’s when the subject pulled a pocket knife out of his left pocket. He opened it, Loki readjusted on his arm, and then he dropped that knife,” recalled Thompson.

But that wasn’t the only weapon the man had on him.

“The subject then pulled out a taser, activated it, I took him to the ground and as we were on the ground, he tased Loki in the neck and on the vest, and as I reached around him I was tased a few times in the hand,” said Thompson.

Thompson got the taser away, but the man also had garden shears on him, and struck Loki. If Loki weren’t wearing his bullet and stab proof vest, this story would have a much different outcome.

“There’s the hole, right behind his rib cage,” said Thompson, pointing out the damaged vest. RPD has six K-9s and all of them now have vests, thanks to a donation by Spike’s K9 Fund.

Thompson got the garden shears from the suspect, but the man still wasn’t giving up.

“He then pulled his right arm up to his face and he decided he was going to bite Loki on the snout,” said Thompson.

According to Thompson, Loki’s nose is his most important attribute, and the damage done is still visible. Thankfully though, it’s cosmetic, and Loki’s nose is fine.

Officer Thompson was able to get the man, James Edward Lee, into custody by using pepper spray on him, while he was still biting Loki. Before he sprayed it, Officer Thompson covered Loki’s eyes, to make sure his dog wasn’t furthered harmed.

“In 20 years in law enforcement and 13 years in K9, I’ve never seen anyone bite the dog.”

Loki immediately went to an emergency vet and Thompson was checked out, as well.

Both were shaken up, but thinking back to the night it happened, Thompson said he and Loki were just doing what they were supposed to do.

The pair has received gifts and cards from people around the country. The morning after the incident, which Thompson said was trained just 48 hours before it happened with the other K9′s in the department, Loki received a steak.

Lee is set to appear in court for an arraignment on Monday, August 30.

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