Newly released video shows Florida deputies gunning down a knife-wielding suspect as he prepares to stab a police dog.
Deputies were called to a Jacksonville home on April 12 after receiving reports that Matvey Klimenko was holding his ex-girlfriend hostage at knifepoint, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect, who had several outstanding warrants, had broken into her residence and threatened to kill her, police said.
Arriving officers negotiated with Klimenko for several hours in an attempt to have him surrender and were able to guide his hostage out of a window, the agency said.
But Klimenko eventually bolted from the home and ran down the street with police officers in pursuit.
Deputies called in a K-9 unit to assist in their search and later spotted Klimenko in the front yard of a nearby home.
Video released by the sheriff’s office shows a K-9 handler releasing his dog to pursue and detain the suspect.
Klimenko can be seen holding a knife as the dog closes in while several deputies scream at him to drop his weapon.
“Don’t let him stab him!” an officer can be heard screaming on bodycam video. “Don’t let him stab him!”
With Klimenko poised to bring the blade down on the animal, several shots ring out and he falls to the ground.
He was later pronounced dead.
Klimenko had a history of domestic violence cases, and his mother and sister had filed restraining orders against him, according to First Coast News.
The sheriff’s office said the incident is being investigated to determine if the shooting was justified and in compliance with departmental procedure.
