A knife-wielding man who lunged at a police dog with a zombie knife in Folkestone has been jailed for two years.
Reece Armstrong, 26, of no fixed address, was reported to have been involved in an altercation with another man in Enbrook Valley on the afternoon of Wednesday 23 March 2022.
An officer went to the area with Police Dog Blue and approached Armstrong at around 4.20pm.
Armstrong initially spoke to the officer before his mood changed and he stood up and produced a large zombie knife from his hoodie.
He became very aggressive and moved toward the officer and PD Blue whilst shouting ‘I’m going to kill your dog’.
The officer feared for the safety of himself and PD Blue and shouted at Armstrong to stop and step back. Armstrong ignored these commands and swung the knife in the direction of PD Blue. The blade caught his collar but fortunately did not injure him.
Armstrong then fled the scene.
He was later located in Folkestone Town Centre on Monday 28 March by firearms patrols. He again tried to flee from officers but was caught with the help of a police drone and detained. Following his arrest officers located the zombie knife he had used in his attack on PD Blue.
After being interviewed in custody and charged in relation to the offences committed, Armstrong was immediately recalled to prison for breaching the terms of his licence in relation to a separate conviction.
He later pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, a count of assaulting an emergency worker and causing fear of violence. He was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday 7 July.
Investigating officer PC Sophia Lateu of Kent Police said: ‘Armstrong’s behaviour was utterly abhorrent; PD Blue and his handler were extremely lucky to be able to walk away from this incident unharmed.
‘Every day our officers are required to attend unpredictable, challenging and sometimes volatile situations. However, like any other job, officers should be able to perform their roles without being the subject of such disgusting and potentially dangerous actions.
‘Any assaults on police officers, staff or our police dogs are completely unacceptable, and we will not hesitate to prosecute those who put their safety and the safety of other emergency workers at risk in this way.’