A Clearwater man found out the hard way, you can’t outrun or hide from Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office K-9 deputies.
And you certainly won’t win in a fight with one.
It all started Monday morning when Deputy Brad Byers, a K-9 handler for a dog named Hector, spotted a guy standing in the middle of Highway 19 in Palm Harbor.
“I lit up my lights, we made eye contact. I got out of my car. Told him ‘sheriff’s office.’ He starts running. I said, ‘sheriff’s office K-9. Stop.’ And he took off running behind businesses and into the wooded area,” said Deputy Byers.
Deputy Byers zeroed in on an area of the woods.
“I challenged, ‘sheriff’s office K-9, come out or you’re gonna get bit,’ several times, no response. We went into the wooded area and Hector apprehended on his right leg,” he said.
Normally, this is where the story would end. Not this time.
Deputy Byers said the guy, identified as Michael Shuford of Clearwater, didn’t give up.
“He sat up and he was punching Hector in the head and face several times. Hector never released his bite. Hector did exactly what he’s trained to do and he’s the brains of the operation,” said Deputy Byers.
Despite what you see on TV shows, a K-9 bite is rare.
“That’s the first person that we’ve bit this year out of nine people. So, we don’t bite the majority of the people that we come across,” said Deputy Byers.
K-9 Hector is fine. So is Deputy Byers.
Shuford is facing several charges including offense against a police dog.
Investigators believe Shuford was high on cocaine when he attacked the K-9 deputy.
