San Marino man allegedly stabs police dog during standoff

SAN MARINO — Officials released the name Saturday of a San Marino man who allegedly stabbed a police dog and set his house on fire during a standoff with authorities.
David Pohung Liu, 45, lived at the home where the standoff occurred Friday in the 500 block of Los Arboles Lane, San Marino police said in a written statement.
Police responded to a burglar alarm shortly before 5 p.m. at the home when they encountered Liu in the doorway, San Marino police Lt. Steve Johnson said.
“(Liu) was in possession of a large knife and a gun,” the police statement said. “He told the officers to shoot him.”
Liu then went into his house where he remained for about five hours, police said.
SWAT officers from the Foothill Special Enforcement Team, which is made up of officers from police agencies throughout the area, surrounded the home while a crisis negotiator tried to talk to Liu via telephone, Johnson said. Liu refused repeated orders to surrender.
When police sent an Irwindale Police Department dog into the house, Liu allegedly slashed it across the head and muzzle, Irwindale police Sgt. Richard Breceda said. Officers were able to call the injured dog back out of the home.
A short time later, Liu set fire to his home, the San Marino police statement said.
“(Officers) used pepper ball guns and foam projectiles against Liu, who finally surrendered to the officers,” according to the statement.
Liu remained hospitalized Saturday for treatment of burns to his face and hands and smoke inhalation, police added.
A motive for Liu’s alleged behavior was not released.
The dog, a Belgian Malinois named “Rik,” was expected to be okay Saturday after receiving medical treatment, Breceda said.
“There’s apparently no permanent injuries,” he said, and the dog was resting at home with his handler.
Rik has been the Irwindale Police Department’s K-9 for about four years, Breceda added.
Johnson said Liu is expected to be booked on suspicion of charges including assaulting a police dog, obstructing police and brandishing weapons.

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4 thoughts on “San Marino man allegedly stabs police dog during standoff

  1. I drove by this street when this was going down – there were 18 police cars parked around this street!

    I realize this guy was crazy, but do the police really have their priorities straight when it comes to appropriate response levels?

    You see someone get shot at a San Gabriel coffee shop and only a handful arrive. But a crazy man stabs your dog and everyone drops what they are doing to rush over there?

  2. That is terrifying but I agree with Gerald F when some major incident happens only a few police man will show their face and when heir dogs are stabbed there are a bunch of them .This shows that human life is much cheaper than dogs especially if they are police dogs.

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