A person who stabbed two San Diego police canine in 2021 was sentenced Thursday to 9 years in state jail.
Dedrick Jones, 37, pleaded responsible to stabbing the primary canine, Titan, in January 2021 and was sentenced to 1 12 months in jail, plus probation. Following his launch from jail and whereas on probation for the primary stabbing, Jones attacked one other police canine, Hondo, 11 months later.
In each cases, Jones was arrested following standoffs with San Diego police that ended with officers releasing the canine and Jones stabbing the animals.
Each canine survived the assaults, although Titan has since died, based on Deputy District Legal professional Clay Biddle. The prosecutor mentioned Titan’s dying “isn’t straight associated” to the stabbing, however has not been dominated out as a contributing issue.
Jones, on trial for Hondo’s stabbing, represented himself. He was convicted of brandishing a knife, however jurors didn’t attain verdicts on a number of different counts. He later pleaded responsible to the remaining counts, which included animal cruelty, harm to a peace officer animal and resisting arrest.
Protection legal professional Denis Lainez requested San Diego Superior Courtroom Choose Dwayne Moring for a sentence of seven years, citing Jones’ troubled upbringing, which he mentioned causes him to react incorrectly in panic conditions.
Lainez additionally mentioned the police name that led to Hondo’s stabbing was primarily based on a false report that Jones had vandalized an individual’s automobile. The legal professional mentioned that whereas “I want he had dealt with this higher,” he argued that the one that initially contacted police lied about what occurred and officers responded as if he had dedicated against the law.
“Mr. Jones had finished completely nothing unsuitable and due to who he was or due to his circumstances, he was fully not believed,” Lainez mentioned.
Biddle argued Thursday for a sentence of simply over 12 years in jail, telling the choose that Jones has a “lengthy and violent legal historical past” that features punching a police officer within the face in Florida in 2012.
In accordance with San Diego police, Jones was armed with two knives throughout the standoff within the Halfway District previous to Titan’s stabbing. Titan acquired round 100 stitches and had a part of his colon eliminated in consequence.
The second stabbing occurred on Riley Road in the identical neighborhood. Police mentioned Jones was swinging a knife and climbed onto a parked automobile, then approached officers whereas nonetheless holding the blade.
Hondo was stabbed no less than twice within the chest earlier than officers took Jones into custody. The canine was in a position to return to responsibility just a few weeks later, police mentioned.
– Metropolis Information Service
