A shocking video captures the moment police unleashed a K-9 unit to take down an armed suspect accused of brutally attacking a parking attendant in downtown San Diego.
The footage shows a tense standoff unfolding on a sidewalk as officers surround a man clutching a long wooden stick — believed to be part of a broken cane used in the earlier attack.
The suspect appears agitated and refuses repeated commands to drop the weapon, pacing within a loose police perimeter.
This wild moment shows San Diego police approaching the suspect with the K-9 unit leading the way.
Police officers hold the dog by its harness as they prepare to unleash its four-legged fury on the slashing suspect.
Officers can be seen firing multiple nonlethal rounds — believed to be a bean-bag round or similarly “less-lethal” projectile — in an effort to subdue him.
Despite at least three shots, the man remains on his feet, continuing to grip the stick and ignore police orders. Moments later, the situation escalates.
Officers unleash a K-9, which sprints toward the suspect and launches into him, knocking him off balance.
The dog latches onto the suspect’s arm as officers rush in, wrestling the man to the ground and placing him in custody, Fox San Diego reported. Authorities later identified him as 20-year-old Lathapoun Keovongsa.
According to the San Diego Police Department, the violent encounter stemmed from an earlier attack that unfolded around 3:42 p.m. Sunday near K Street and 13th Street, in a parking lot known as the Tailgate Padres Parking Lot.
Moments later, the unleashed police dog charges at the suspect, Lathapoun Keovongsa, who is brandishing a large stick. Instagram/@east_village_doers/PhaedraCook
The dog latches onto the Keovongsa’s arm, wrestling him to the ground before he’s placed in custody. Instagram/@east_village_doers/PhaedraCookInvestigators say a 25-year-old parking attendant was sitting on an electrical box when Keovongsa allegedly approached and struck him twice in the head using a broken wooden cane handle.
The attack left the victim with two head lacerations. He was transported to UCSD Hospital, where he was treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Police later tracked Keovongsa down near Park Boulevard, where he was still armed — this time with what officers described as a roughly 6-foot wooden stick.
Officials said the suspect refused to comply with commands, prompting them to first deploy nonlethal force. When those efforts failed, the K-9 unit was sent in, ultimately bringing the chaotic confrontation to an end.
Keovongsa was bitten on the arm during the takedown before being taken into custody. The incident remains under investigation.
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