By Officer Mike Wood, PIO
The newest K-9 of the Pensacola Police Department is being credited with saving the lives of several officers and a suspect after the police dog took a loaded shotgun out of the hands of an armed burglary suspect.
The incident occurred at 137 North K Street on June 21st, (at 0000 hours) when 36 year old Oliver Hurst went across the street to a girlfriend’s house and forced his way inside the front door armed with a shotgun. He threatened the woman with the gun before retreating back to his residence. Police were called, and when officers arrived, they observed Hurst on his front porch. Hurst refused orders from officers to surrender, and he ran inside his house. Officers pursued Hurst into the home and observed him grab the shotgun from a couch. K-9 Foster, an 18 month old German Shepherd, latched onto the shotgun and pulled it from the hands of Hurst. Officers deployed a Taser on Hurst who was then taken into custody as K-9 Foster took the weapon away from the area and into another room where it was seized by officers.
Because of the quick actions of K-9 Foster, the suspect was not able to fire the shotgun at police, and the officers did not have to use deadly force on Hurst.
Hurst was taken into custody and charged with armed burglary, aggravated assault, battery, criminal mischief, and aggravated assault on an LEO.
K-9 Foster and K-9 Nashoba were both purchased from generous donations made by Pensacola residents Dana and Lisa Foster.
Body camera video of this incident is available on our Facebook page.