Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Metro Police dog survives stabbing; suspect arrested

Kimura

metro police

Metro Police patrol dog Kimura, shown with its handler Officer Nick Bachman, survived a knife attack.

An armed man and the Las Vegas police dog he allegedly stabbed Monday night are both fortunate to have averted more severe injuries.

The Dutch Shepherd's presence on scene gave the officers options besides deadly force when Jeffrey Holland, 57, began advancing toward them with a knife, disobeying orders after a standoff, Metro Police Officer Hadfield said, a decision that has proven fatal for other suspects.

Although some might just think of the K9 unit's Kimura as a dog, it’s one of the tools police have available to dodge a potentially deadly incident, Hadfield said. “We don’t want to risk human life or take human life.”

It all began with a traffic stop at 8:37 p.m. in the 3800 block of Cambridge Street, near Katie Avenue and Maryland Parkway.

Holland pulled his vehicle over at an apartment complex, got out brandishing a knife and walked inside a Prime Apartments unit, Hadfield said.

Eventually he exited. By this time, officers had formulated a plan to try to bring him in peacefully, summoning the K9 unit just in case.

When he didn’t surrender, Kimura was deployed, Hadfield said. While the animal was trying to take him into custody, Holland stabbed it repeatedly.

At last, Holland was handcuffed without further incident and taken to University Medical Center, Hadfield said. He was booked in absentia at the Clark County Detention Center on counts of resisting police with a deadly weapon (not a gun), torture/injure/poison/attempt to kill police animal, and operating a vehicle with expired registration, jail logs show.

The dog was taken to a vet near Tropicana Avenue and Durango Drive, where it was expected to make a full recovery, Hadfield said.

Metro’s K9 unit shared a heartfelt message about Kimura on its Instagram page. “As you know, we ask our K9 partners to perform amazing acts of heroism and Kimura delivered!”

They said its handler, Officer Nick Bachman, would take it home for rehab and thanked Dr. Mason at Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care.