You may have heard about 4-year-old Yoda, a Belgian Malinois shepherd from the Border Patrol team in El Paso, and his role in capturing escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante on Wednesday.
Cavalcante had escaped just days after being sentenced to life without parole in the fatal stabbing of his ex-girlfriend. According to the Pennsylvania State Police, it was K9 Yoda who took him down when he tried to crawl away.
“When the dog got to him, he then went flat with the dog on him -- the dog was able to detain him there,” State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said at a news conference. “I was told the rifle was within arm’s length.”
Officers said that Yoda played an important role in preventing Cavalcante from using the rifle in his possession, WPVI reported.
The dog first bit Cavalcante’s scalp and then his thigh, Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark told reporters. “At which time, Cavalcante submitted.
Bivens said that police dogs play “a very important role” in safely subduing subjects. Law enforcement dogs are trained to attack once and will release on command, the Inquirer reported.
The American Kennel Club calls the Belgian Malinois a “smart, confident, and versatile” breed that works hard and forms unbreakable bonds with humans, the Inquirer reported. It was recognized by the AKC as a breed in 1959.
Belgian Malinois are smaller and lighter than German Shepherds and are sought by police for K-9 operations, according to the newspaper.
Thank you K9 Yoda for your service. You are a true hero!
K9 Yoda