Fresno police shot and wounded Gabriel Mata, 27, on Sunday after he repeatedly stabbed a law enforcement dog, authorities said.
Mata, a Fresno resident, is at Community Regional Medical Center in critical condition, Fresno County sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti said in a news release Monday.
K-9 Cyra (pronounced “Kiera”) is recovering at home from stab wounds after receiving medical care at 24/7 PetVets in Fresno.
A 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, Cyra has been working in the field for about one year.
Mata was wanted for multiple felonies, including violent offenses and weapons charges, the sheriff’s office said.
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Man Fled From Officers
Officers from the Fresno Police Department went to arrest Mata around 5 p.m. Sunday, according to sheriff’s Lt. Brandon Pursell.
The man got into an “altercation” with officers and fled, Pursell said during a news conference.
Fresno police asked for help from the sheriff’s office, including a K-9 unit. Pursell said the man stabbed the dog multiple times before Fresno police officers opened fire.
The officers’ names have not been made public. The sheriff’s office is conducting the investigation because the shooting occurred outside city limits.
