On the morning of December 17 , 2021 , while San Diegans were preparing for family holiday gatherings , a two-year-old Belgian Malinois named Hondo , was on duty with his human partner , Officer Mitch Tani .
A woman called police to report that a man had threatened her with a knife near Kurtz Street in San Diego ’ s Midway District . As is the case in many potentially violent incidents , the SDPD K9 Unit responded and confronted the suspect .
In many ways , this seemed like a flashback . On January 26 , 2021 , police service dog Titan and his handler , Officer Javier Morales , were called to an incident in the Midway District . A man armed with a knife , perched atop a huge shipping container , was in a confrontation with police . After resisting four hours of attempts to get him to come down and disarm , the suspect descended and ran , still holding the knife .
Fearing for the officers guarding the perimeter , and for the safety of the community members behind them , Officer Morales released Titan . The suspect was apprehended but not before he stabbed Titan , puncturing his colon in three places .
Officer Morales rushed to his vehicle , carrying Titan , and sped to the VCA Animal Hospital . Fortunately , a surgeon was on duty , and Titan ’ s life was saved . After a full recovery , he was awarded the first Purple Heart for an SDPD canine . He continues to protect and serve San Diego .
Fast forward to December 2021 , and the same man who had been arrested for stabbing Titan , is out of jail and again confronting police with a knife .
“ Hearing the radio traffic from those officers , and the description of what he was doing , made me feel at any moment it could become a lethal encounter ,” shared Officer Mitch Tani .
" I had hoped that when I arrived and he saw my police dog , Hondo , he would give up , but unfortunately , he did not . When I ultimately had to send Hondo , it was because the suspect was moving towards officers still armed with a knife .“
In order to avoid the use of lethal force when the man swung the knife at officers , Hondo was released and took down the suspect , who was then arrested without further incident . But Hondo was stabbed twice during the confrontation .
“ It was difficult to watch Hondo get stabbed ,” shared Officer Tani . “ He was extremely lucky that both stab wounds missed major arteries and his respiratory system , so his recovery only took a few weeks .“ Amazingly , Hondo is now back on the case at K9 and as active as ever .
“ Lt . Chris Tivanian , the commanding officer of the K9 Unit , invited us to the training facility to see Hondo after he returned to duty ," shared Marcia and Rich Leake , the donors who funded Hondo . “ Funding a dog for America ' s Finest K9 Unit has added a new dimension to our lives . The day we first met Hondo and Mitch , we were able to observe them as they trained . It has been very rewarding to have a personal connection to SDPD handler , Officer Mitch Tani , and his canine .”
To support the K9 Unit , community members can attend the Police Foundation ’ s K9 Soirée on October 29 . The heroic Hondo and his dedicated handler , Officer Tani , will be featured and are expected to make a live cameo appearance .
For information about this special evening or to make a donation to honor our beloved police dogs , visit SuppportK9 . org .
19,335
Calls for Service handled by K9 in 2021
Averages 2 or 3 calls per hour
De-escalation
Top Service of K9
Saving lives by defusing violent situations
Belgian Malinois
Most Common SDPD Police Dog Breed
K9 also has Dutch , Czech , and German Shepherds ; Labradors and Retrievers serve as MOD dogs
Mobile Odor Detection
What MOD Stands For
These specialized dogs can find bombs
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