A police dog has been hailed as a hero after discovering a theft suspect who was wanted by Northumbria Police.
The 31-year-old, who was wanted for a misdemeanor in the city center days earlier, had been spotted by officers on Westgate Road.
The fugitive threatened officers with a knife before trying to escape through the cemetery near Elswick Road.
Read more: Jessica Shaw-Nickson, 19, missing from Berwick, found safe and sound, police say
PC Claire Salmon then released her K9 officer and it wasn’t long before the highly trained five-year-old German Shepherd named Odey found the suspect hiding in an undergrowth.
The fugitive tried to escape but was surrounded by intervention agents who put him under arrest.
Odey received a well-deserved and well-deserved award for his contribution to the arrest.
Today (Thursday) on International Dog Day, a high profile police officer congratulated Odey and said it shows how important animals play a role in keeping communities safe.
“It was a fantastic display of teamwork between the response officers and our canine section led by the amazing PD Odey,” said Chief Inspector Ian Cutty.
“The response officers were very vigilant at first in recognizing the suspect, chasing him through the west end, and then containing him in the cemetery.
“Then it was up to Odey to do his job and he demonstrated that the dog section is capable of rooting out suspects and detaining them.
“I cannot underestimate the contribution our police animals make to the everyday police and it is fitting that we celebrate Odey on International Dog Day.
“We hope this kind of quick response will reassure the public and demonstrate the dedication of our officers and animals to keeping you safe.”
If you want to follow the work of the Northumbria Police Dog Section and their awesome content, you can follow them on Twitter at @NPDogSection
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