Suspect charged for assaulting police dog
Edmonton police have laid its first charges against a man under Quanto’s law, after he allegedly assaulted a police dog while on the run from police on Tuesday.
Just before 8:15 p.m., an Edmonton police officer saw a Dodge Caravan speeding near 127 Avenue and 9 Street. The officer attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the driver sped south on Anthony Henday Drive.
The Air-1 helicopter joined in the chase, watching the vehicle driving erratically through Edmonton, Beaumont and Strathcona County for more than an hour, reaching speeds of more than 120 km/h.
The minivan then came back into Edmonton, where police deployed a spike belt outside of police headquarters at 9620 103a Ave.
The van came to a stop in the nearby parking lot of the old remand centre, where a canine unit blocked the vehicle from escape. The driver then fled on foot.
“With the foot chase ensuing, police service dog Jagger was deployed to apprehend the suspect. Upon doing so, Jagger was assaulted by the suspect, struck in the face several times,” Sgt. Adam Segin said.
The investigating officers decided to lay the charge after consultation with their watch commanders, said Segin, adding that no weapons were involved.
“Our police service dogs are very well trained and more than prepared to deal with a situation like this,” he said. “Some scrapes and minor cuts around his face, but he won’t miss any time from work.”
Police later recovered a loaded handgun, ammunition, bear spray, a hatchet and an undisclosed sum of cash from the vehicle.
Ryan James Prystay, 33, is charged with injuring or endangering a law enforcement animal.
He also faces charges of flight from a peace officer, dangerous driving, possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of stolen property under $5,000 and various weapons charges.
The law is nicknamed Quanto’s Law. It came into effect in 2015, two years after Paul Joseph Vukmanich fatally stabbed city police dog Quanto, a five-year-old German shepherd.