Man Sentenced to Prison for Killing Police Dog
An Oxnard man who fatally stabbed a police dog last year during a confrontation with police was sentenced Thursday to four years in state prison.
Timothy Knight, 21, pleaded guilty last month to exhibiting a deadly weapon to a police officer and harming or interfering with an officer’s dog. Both charges are considered violent felonies and count as strikes on his record.
Knight was wanted on an outstanding warrant on April 19, 2002, when Officer J.R. Perez tried to pull him over on a traffic violation. Knight got out of the car, brandished a knife and ran, according to court testimony.
Perez ordered his dog, Rudy, to pursue Knight. When the dog lunged, Knight turned and stabbed the animal once in the lower chest.
Rudy was the first Oxnard police dog to die in the line of duty.
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