Suspect fatally shot by Fullerton police after stabbing K-9

An armed man was fatally shot by police after he stabbed a police dog as officers responded to a family disturbance in Fullerton Wednesday night.

At around 10 p.m. officers went to a home in the 3600 block of West Avenue after a 911 call for domestic, Fullerton Sgt. Eric Bridges said.

Police were told that the suspect had pulled a knife on two teenage children who tried to intervene during the domestic situation, police said. As officers were on their way, they were notified the suspect had obtained a handgun and fired several rounds, Bridges said.

“As officers arrived on scene, multiple family members ran from the house,” Bridges said in a statement.

Seconds later the suspect, whose name had not been released, left the house holding a knife.

“Numerous commands to drop the knife were given, but the suspect refused to do so,” the sergeant said in the statement.

When the man tried to re-enter the house where other family members were inside, a police K-9 was sent in.

“The suspect stabbed the canine, and an officer-involved shooting occurred,” Bridges said.

Officers performed life-saving measures on the suspect before paramedics took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The police dog was taken to a veterinary hospital for emergency surgery and was expected to make a full recovery.

A knife was recovered at the scene.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office was handling the investigation, which is standard for officer-involved shootings.