A Tucson police K-9 was wounded during a call Tuesday evening that started with a woman telling police she and her child were being chased by a man with a knife, authorities say.
About 5:30 p.m., officers rushed to Rudy Garcia Park at South Nogales Highway and East Irvington Road after a woman reported the incident, Tucson police said in a news release.
While talking to the woman, officers spotted the possible attacker nearby at the Laos Transit Center.
He ran off and at some point a police dog was deployed to help detain him, but it returned to its handler after being wounded, the release said.
Police would not say how the dog was wounded, but KGUN News cited a witnesses who said the man stabbed the dog.
The injuries to the police dog were not life-threatening, police said, and it was being treated Tuesday night at an animal hospital.
While the man was being apprehended an officer's gun discharged, with a round striking the ground, the release said.
The unidentified man was not struck, but he was being treated Tuesday night for minor injuries, police said.
The multi-agency Pima Regional Critical Incident Team, which investigates local police shootings, is handling the investigation of the incident. Findings from the investigation will be sent to the Pima County Attorney's Office for possible charges, which is standard procedure.
A separate internal probe will be conducted by the Tucson Police Department.Β
