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Domestic Violence Suspect Strangles Police K9; K9 Bites Back

A Belgium Malinois similar to Ruwa who was attacked by the perp [Stock photo]

BOISE, Idaho — Boise police are accusing a Washington man of trying to strangle a woman and a police dog responding to a domestic violence call.

Thirty-four-year-old Michael R. Gillespie, of Tacoma, Wash., is being held in the Ada County Jail and facing numerous charges stemming from Monday’s confrontation.

Police accuse Gillespie of attempting to strangle a woman, then fleeing the scene before police arrived.

He was found hours later in an open field.

After refusing to surrender, officers say they dispatched a police dog named “Ruwa.” The dog bit Gillespie on the arm, causing Gillespie to fight back and try using his legs to choke the 88-pound Belgium Malinois.

The dog held, but left part of a broken tooth in Gillespie’s arm. Records show Gillespie was recently released from a Washington prison on domestic violence charges.