RANCHO SANTA FE — A knife-yielding man stabbed a Sheriff’s department K-9 before being shot by responding deputies early Saturday morning.
The man, Edward Ray Nett, 50, according to media reports and a Sheriff’s department news release, was shot in the torso and taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Nett is expected to recover from his wounds.
According to the news release, deputies from the Sheriff’s North Coastal Station responded to a report of a person yelling and the sounds of items breaking in front of 6012 Paseo Delicias in the community of Rancho Santa Fe just before 5:30 a.m.
The suspect yelled at deputies that he was going to stab them. In an attempt to take the suspect into custody with the minimum amount of force, deputies launched pepper balls at the suspect and deployed a Sheriff’s K-9 named Banjer.
The pepper balls had no effect, and Banjer was stabbed under the left eye. Deputies recovered Banjer and he was rushed to a local animal hospital for emergency surgery.
Nett then broke into a nearby apartment where he confronted the resident and held them at knife point for a short time. The resident was able to break free of the suspect and run into the bathroom and lock the door. Nett yelled to deputies who were outside, that he had just, “slit the throat” of the victim. As deputies prepared to enter the apartment to rescue the victim, the suspect stepped outside and again confronted the deputies with the knife.
One of the deputies fired approximately four times, striking Nett in the torso. Deputies took him into custody and began to render first aid until paramedics could arrive. The resident of the apartment was found unhurt, inside the bathroom.
Banjer underwent successful surgery and is now resting comfortably. He is expected to make a full recovery, the news release reported.
