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Man accused of stabbing police dog sought in unrelated killing, K9 leaves vet

Updated April 3, 2024 - 2:53 pm

A man accused of stabbing a Las Vegas police dog during a standoff was sought in an out-of-state killing, according to his arrest report.

The Metropolitan Police Department said Thurman Lowe Jr., 64, was “wanted for murder” at the time he stabbed the dog, Enzo, Friday afternoon at an apartment complex in the 1200 block of Las Vegas Boulevard South.

The report references an arrest warrant out of St. Louis County, Missouri, but details about the allegations were not included and the exact charges were redacted.

Lowe was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on five felony counts related to Friday’s incident, including attempting to kill a police animal, Las Vegas Justice Court records show.

Lowe called 911 at 1:08 p.m. and told a dispatcher he was stabbing himself, the report said.

“Lowe also stated if police responded he would stab himself again,” the report added.

Police said they responded to the Thunderbird Boutique Hotel, where Lowe refused to come out from a second-floor unit.

SWAT responded after Lowe started a fire in the unit, police said.

Armed with a knife, Lowe eventually made his way outside, but refused to drop the weapon, police said.

Police said Lowe yelled “I’m coming to get you” at a pair of officers, and started running at them in a “threatening” manner.

One of the officers fired low-lethal rounds, causing Lowe to briefly stop, police said.

A dog handler released Enzo, a Belgian Malinois, before the dog bit Lowe, police said.

Lowe stabbed the dog eight to nine times while officers tried shocking him with stun guns, which proved ineffective, police said.

SWAT officers knocked Lowe down with a shield before they took him into custody, police said.

Lowe was taken to University Medical Center with life-threatening, self-inflicted stab wounds, while the dog was flown to a veterinary hospital with critical injuries, police said. The report said the man’s condition had been stabilized.

Lowe, who is being held with no bail, has not appeared in court due to “medical reasons,” court records show.

Meanwhile, the police dog was released from the veterinary facility on Wednesday.

“K9 Enzo is going home! He’s doing well and he still has ways to go before he’s 100% but he’s going home,” police wrote in a social media post. “Thank you all for your love and support! We’ll keep you updated!”

Missouri authorities could not immediately be reached for comment.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.

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