A Prince William County police officer and his canine partner are being honored for their response to an armed and hostile suicidal man in December. Officer Bill Van Antwerp and Hawkeye, a German shepherd, recently received a patrol case award from the U.S. Police Canine Association. The pair was part of a team that responded to a man who said he was going to shoot himself at his home. The team ended up taking the man into custody safely, with a bite from Hawkeye helping to detain the man. No gunshots were fired and no officers were injured. “K9 Hawkeye’s performance under stress enabled an armed and suicidal subject to be safely taken into custody without injury to the officers involved,” the association said in a statement. “K9 Hawkeye was unaffected by the environmental issues present or the dynamics of a resisting and aggressive suspect.” Officers arrived at the home of the man, who was apparently distraught over marital issues, at about 6 p.m. on Dec. 15. They saw the man walking around the home with a rifle and several handguns, authorities said, and negotiated for about six hours. Police then tossed gas canisters into the house to force the man to leave.
After the man left the house, he wouldn’t follow officers’ commands as he walked toward the SWAT team. He had an object in his waistband that later turned out to be an empty holster.
That’s when Hawkeye was released to apprehend him, as an officer hit the man with a stun gun. Authorities said Hawkeye bit the man in the back of the thigh. The man continued to resist officers’ attempts to take him into custody, but Hawkeye maintained control of his leg.
Once the man was secured, officers found a loaded handgun that fell out of his pants.
