JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas police K9 returned to work last week after being stabbed while assisting during an arrest last month.
After a full recovery and medical clearance, K9 Dagger returned to full duty, according to a social media report from the Shawnee Police Department.
Just before 4a.m. August 5, the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department was dispatched to disturbance at a home in the 900 block of Riverview, according to a media release.
At the home, officers spoke with the caller who said a family member had returned to the. home after an earlier assault involving a knife. When officers approached the home to talk to the man, he barricaded himself inside.
The Shawnee Police Department assisted and brought K9 Dagger, a Belgian Malinois, to the scene. When officers went inside the home to take make an arrest, the suspect stabbed the K9 officer.
Dagger was transported to a local veterinarian and was expected to make a full recovery. Dagger has been with the Shawnee Police Department since 2023.
At 7:30 a.m., the suspect surrendered and was arrested.
In 2024 the Kansas legislature passed “Bane’s Law,” that increases penalties for inflicting harm on law enforcement animals, including horses. The felony crime is now punishable by a minimum of 90 days in jail and a minimum fine of $10,000.
Governor Kelly vetoed the bill but on was overridden 105-20 in the House and 29-10 in the Senate.