Oklahoma City police dog recovering from stab wounds, suspect killed

By Heide Brandes OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - An Oklahoma City police dog stabbed multiple times is expected to survive wounds it incurred while trying to subdue a suspect who led police on a high-speed car chase and then was shot dead by an officer, police said on Monday. The suspect, whose name has not been released, stabbed the dog on Sunday night after the car's tires were punctured by spikes placed in the road by police and he drove into a ditch, police said. Local media reported the dog was a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, but police would not confirm this. "They say he's going to make it, but whether or not he (the dog) returns to duty remains to be seen," Oklahoma City Police Captain Dexter Nelson said. When the driver began running along a service road, the Oklahoma City K9 officer released his police dog to chase the suspect, catching the man who took out a knife and started stabbing the dog, police said. The officer then fatally shot the man. The police dog was taken to a veterinarian for emergency surgery, Nelson said. The officer who shot the suspect is on paid administrative leave pending an investigation. The suspect is thought to skipped out on an unpaid bar tab and then stole a car, police said. His name has not been released because of difficulty locating a next of kin, police said. (Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Eric Walsh)