Two St. Joseph County police officers are on leave after they arrested a suspect who they say took one of their guns, fired it, pistol whipped an officer, and punched a K9 on Sunday.
Police responded to a reported home invasion on State Road 23 east of the Heritage Square area. They say 34-year-old suspect Dustin Pate drove from the scene but police didn’t chase him because of the snowy weather. He hit another vehicle at the Gumwood intersection, got out and started running. Officers chased after him and confronted him as he tried to take another vehicle.
They then released a K9 as he resisted arrest and he hit the dog in the head with his fist. He then assaulted an officer and tried to take his gun, causing the gun to fire but the bullet did not hit anyone. He then hit an officer in the face with the gun before officers arrested him.
Pate faces possible attempted murder and resisting arrest charges. He was treated and released from the hospital and booked into the jail.
Sheriff Bill Redman in a statement said the officers on leave “sustained injuries during this incident, and just as importantly, we recognize the mental and emotional toll situations like this can have.”
Police did not release information on the K9’s status.
