An incredible police dog has been recognised for his bravery after he helped in the apprehension of a suspect despite receiving more than 20 slashes from a machete and sustaining gruesome injuries.
Stark is a German Shepherd cross that works with his handler, PC Paul Hopley, for the West Midlands police. The three year old dog received nasty injuries all over his body after he was attacked in Birmingham. The horrific, unprovoked attack was captured on Hopley’s body cam.
Hopley was called out to investigate reports of suspicious activity in the early morning hours on November 14 last year. After Hopley had located the suspicious individual, he instructed Stark to ‘find them’. Stark then quickly sets off in hot pursuit.
As the suspect began hitting Stark with an object, Hopley can be heard shouting ‘stop hitting the dog’. At first, Hopley thought the object was just a stick. But it was much worse. It was a machete.
Stark sustained multiple injuries after he was attacked with a machete over 20 times.
Despite receiving more than 20 blows from the machete, Stark refused to let the suspect go. Hopley quickly covers the attacker in an incapacitant spray, before calling for help over the radio. Images show just how close Stark was to losing his eyes. But despite all the injuries the three year old German Shepherd had sustained, he never cried for help, didn’t run away from the suspect or run back to his handler. He was focused on his task, and never backed down from achieving that task.
Thankfully, Stark made a quick and full recovery. His heroic actions that night earned him an outstanding bravery award by the Thin Blue Paws. Thin Blue Paws is a newly formed organisation that seeks to recognise and honour the achievements of active and retired police dogs.
Stark has since made a quick and full recovery, and is enjoying his job as a police dog.
Since the attack, Stark’s career as a police dog is better than ever. He has just recently passed his firearms support dog course and is now supporting the firearms unit.
Thank you for your services to the community Stark.
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