Suspect Bites Off Part of Calif. Police K-9's Ear During Standoff

A barricaded suspect allegedly bit a Redondo Beach police K-9 during an apprehension, tearing off part of the dog's ear and sending him to a specialty animal hospital for treatment.
By Summer Lin
Source Los Angeles Times
Sept. 28, 2026
Add Us On Google

What to Know

  • A standoff at a Redondo Beach home ended when a barricaded suspect bit a police K-9 deployed to help take him into custody.
  • The suspect tore off part of K-9 Wouter's ear during the encounter, and the dog was taken to a specialty animal hospital for treatment.
  • Wouter is recovering and temporarily off duty, while police have not said what charges the suspect might face related to the bite.
Redondo Beach Police Department | TNS
Redondo Beach Police K-9 Wouter wears a dog cone after a piece of his ear was allegedly bitten off by a suspect

Redondo Beach Police K-9 Wouter is recovering after a suspect barricaded inside a home allegedly bit the police dog and tore off a piece of his ear.

More on OFFICER.com

Ore. Police K-9 Killed on Final Shift Before Retirement in Arrest Attempt

  • Portland Police K-9 Kylo, who was set to retire after his shift, was fatally wounded while helping officers arrest a wanted violent offender who also died in the confrontation.

LOS ANGELES—A standoff with a suspect barricaded inside a Redondo Beach home ended in bizarre fashion last week when the man bit a police dog sent in to subdue him, police said.

"WHO'S A GOOD BOY?! WOUTER IS!" read the Redondo Beach Police Department social media post, before describing what happened.

"Wouter was deployed to assist officers and during apprehension, the suspect bit Wouter and tore off a portion of his ear," the department said, with a closeup image of the dog's ear, a small section of it missing near the tip.

Wouter was transported to ACCESS Specialty Animal Hospital for treatment and is taking a break to recover.

"Wishing our bestest boy a speedy recovery, and want him to get all the scratchies and treats!" the department's post said.

The department did not provide details on what the suspect was wanted for or if he would face additional charges connected to the bite.

In the post, Wouter was pictured wearing a dog cone, which is used to prevent pets from licking, chewing or scratching surgical sites or wounds.

_____

©2026 Los Angeles Times.

Visit latimes.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Sign up for our eNewsletters
Get the latest news and updates

Related

Sponsored
Sponsored

Voice Your Opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Officer, create an account today!