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‘He’s a brave boy’: Police K-9 needs more than 100 stitches after being stabbed by man

Titan, a San Diego police dog, is recovering after recently being stabbed by man during an incident. Six to eight inches of Titan’s colon had to be surgically removed and the dog received more than 100 stitches. (San Diego Police Department)

SAN DIEGO (KSWB) — A San Diego police dog named Titan is recovering after being stabbed by a man in an altercation with officers on Monday.

Authorities say two officers were responding at about 11:30 a.m. to a radio call of a man trespassing at a business. The man, later identified as Dedrick Darnell Jones, refused to provide his information and punched the officers before fleeing, according to the department.


Jones, 35, then entered military property at 2500 Midway Drive where police say he stood on a shipping container brandishing a knife for about four hours.

Emergency negotiators were able to get Jones to come down, but officers said he “still refused to put the knife down.”

“The officer released his K9 partner, Titan, to assist and the suspect stabbed him,” the department said in a tweet.

The dog suffered stab wounds to his side, lacerating his colon in three places, police said. He was rushed to a local animal hospital where between 6-8 inches of Titan’s colon was surgically removed, requiring more than 100 stitches.

Jones was arrested and is being detained at the San Diego Central Jail. He faces four felony charges and a misdemeanor, including harming a police dog and obstructing and resisting an officer. His bond is set at $50,000.

Now Titan is “on the road to recovery,” according to the department.

“He’s a brave boy!” they said. “We’ll keep you updated on Titan’s condition and please keep him in your thoughts as he has a long road to recovery.”