SPOKANE, Wash.-- Spokane officers say a suspect caught for allegedly burglarizing a gas station praised the K-9 that caught him.
The police received a call around 11:45 p.m. for the burglary at the Holz Fuel in the 5500 block of North Market. A witness said he saw a man crawl in one of the gas station’s windows.
An officer and his K-9 Duke reportedly arrived on scene to find two men inside the closed business, ransacking the office. Both of them fled after noticing the officer.
The officer took Christopher Lincoln, 34, into custody first after an unsuccessful attempt at running. Police say his feet and pants got caught on a window’s security bars when he tried to flee. He was stuck hanging upside down from the window by his pants, which ended up around his ankles. Lincoln was armed with a foot-long knife, according to police. He was taken into custody without incident.
The officer and K-9 found the second suspect about three blocks away in a field. Officers say Duke impressed the suspect, 20-year-old Bogdan Pustout.
“The suspect made multiple statements on Duke’s performance, stating, ‘That dog was amazing!’” police said.
Pustout received some minor injuries from Duke. He was arrested after being treated.
Both suspects were booked into the Spokane County Jail for first-degree burglary.
“Police K-9s are trained to track the scent of fleeing and hiding criminal suspects. Their ability is unmatched by any modern technology,” police said.
