Man bitten by K-9, two SPPD officers receive minor injuries in altercation

March 16, 2012
Santa Paula Police Department

According to Santa Paula Police Senior Officer Larry Johnson, the incident occurred March 9 at about 4:22 p.m. in the 200 block of South 4th Street.

“Officer Damien Shiloh had stopped two subjects in a car,” found to be Antonio Lira, 22, and Edgar Garcia, 25, both of Santa Paula, for a violation. Both, said Johnson, were outside the vehicle when the officer made contact with them.

“When Officer Shiloh had initially contacted them the license plate on Lira’s vehicle returned indicating he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest,” and when officers on scene tried to take him into custody he fled on foot. Officers caught up with Lira north of the location where he had been stopped near Ventura Street, “with the assistance of K-9 Hozy” and his partner Officer Randy Haumann.

Johnson said, “When Lira was fighting with officers he was in possession of a knife, but was not displaying it,” a folding knife that was clipped to his belt that officers observed and wanted to keep him away from. “Part of the reason of using the K-9 was because Lira was in possession of a knife.”

Lira was treated on scene for minor injuries resulting from the altercation with Hozy and SPPD officers, and then transported to Santa Paula Hospital. “Two of the officers,” Shiloh and Senior Officer Jeremy Watson, “sustained minor injuries,” and Johnson said they were treated on scene and “returned to duty that day.”

Lira was booked into Ventura County Jail for suspicion of resisting officers with force or violence, suspicion of being in possession of a controlled substance - methamphetamine - and suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance. Lira was also booked on the warrant that initially led to the attempt to take him into custody.





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