A man was arrested on Sunday in Porterville for assaulting a police K9 during an attempted arrest.
Just after 2 a.m. on Sunday, officers with the Porterville Police Department were questioning 29-year-old Arnulfo Castaneda about loitering and drug use when he attempted to get into his vehicle and leave.
Officers attempted to stop him and Castaneda reportedly resisted arrest and was able to get into the driver's seat; police then deployed a police K9. Despite the use of a taser and the K9, Castaneda began to drive away with the K9 latched onto him and the driver's door open.
The dog was dragged approximately 150 feet before Castaneda crashed into the center median on West Henderson Avenue, when the K9 let go of Castaneda. As a result of the incident, the K9 sustained moderate injuries and was rushed to an emergency veterinarian where it received medical treatment. Police say the dog sustained non-life threatening injuries and was later released.
Shortly after, Castaneda was arrested and booked for felony assault on a police K9 causing injury, driving under the influence of a controlled substance, resisting arrest and hit and run traffic collision.
