Man Chased Down By K9 Repeatedly Stabs The Dog, Gets Shot At By Cops

A California man on the run stabbed and severely injured a police dog during a chase, following which he was shot at by the cops in pursuit. The incident occurred on Sunday in California’s San Joaquin Valley.

Gabriel Mata, 27, wanted for multiple felonies, was involved in an 8-hour long standoff with officers from the Fresno Police Department on Saturday. The following day, on Jan. 2, Mata’s mother called the cops to get him to surrender.

"Around 5 pm on Sunday, Fresno police went to a home near American and Maple to try and contact Gabriel Matta," Tony Botti with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said to KFSN-TV. "They knew him as a suspect in the incident in the day prior on Saturday."

Mata’s mother told the outlet that she was trying to help her son and the police.

When officers made contact with Mata, they got into an "altercation" and the suspect fled the scene. This is when the cops sought help from the Sheriff’s Office and a K9 unit to apprehend Mata, according to the Associated Press.

K9 Cyra managed to chase the suspect down but was stabbed multiple times by Mata as he attempted to flee again. This is when two Fresno police officers were forced to open fire at Mata. He was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Meanwhile Cyra, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, was rushed to a veterinary hospital, the Sheriff’s Office said. The dog needed stitches and staples to treat the stab wounds and has since been released. The canine is expected to make full recovery.

Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney's office are investigating the incident as the shooting occurred outside Fresno city limits.

Mata has a long list of felonies against his name. Previously, he was charged with illegal possession of a gun, burglary, offenses related to domestic violence and fleeing a peace officer. Mata will face new charges in connection to the Sunday incident.

In 2021 a K9 with Fresno Police Department was stabbed multiple times by a man when officers responded to a domestic violence call. The dog chased after the suspect as he fled the scene and bit into the man's arm. Armed with a knife, he began stabbing the K9, Argo, leaving him severely injured. The dog was treated and expected to make full recovery.