Vancouver police say a weekend call about a restraining-order violation turned into a tense arrest that ended with a K-9 bite and a trip to jail for the suspect. Officers responded Sunday to a home in Vancouver after reports that a man was at the residence in violation of a protection order and refusing to follow police directions. According to investigators, he briefly left before officers later found him sitting in his vehicle, where they say he again ignored repeated commands to get out. A police K-9 was then used to take him into custody. The man was treated for a bite wound and later booked into jail.
According to KOIN, Vancouver police identified the suspect as Rex Suzuki and said he was at the home despite an active protection order. Officers told the outlet that Suzuki refused to leave his vehicle and continued to disregard instructions, which led to the K-9 deployment and arrest.
K-9 unit used to gain custody
The City of Vancouver notes that its K-9 teams work out of the patrol division and are trained for tracking and apprehension. The department says those teams can also assist regional response units when needed and are routinely called in when officers need an extra layer of safety or help locating a noncompliant suspect during an arrest.
Charges and booking
According to KOIN, Suzuki was booked on multiple allegations, including misdemeanor and felony protection-order violations, felony harassment and second-degree kidnapping. He also faces counts of resisting arrest and obstructing an officer. Police said he received medical treatment for the K-9 bite and remained in custody as the case moved toward prosecution.
What Washington law says
Under Washington law, a willful violation of a protection order is typically charged as a gross misdemeanor, although repeated violations can rise to a class C felony. Peace officers are allowed to arrest without a warrant when they have probable cause to believe a protection order was violated. Those penalties and enforcement procedures are detailed in RCW 26.50.110.
Vancouver police released information about the incident to local media and say the case remains under investigation as it works through the local court system. Anyone with information about the arrest is asked to contact the Vancouver Police Department.
