Man charged with choking police dog

A North Port police K-9 is okay but a man is facing charges after he tried to choke the dog, according to police.

Authorities were called to a home on Brancusi Avenue Sunday night after a caller reported a neighbor was in his home and “flipping out on some kind of drugs,” North Port police reported.

Police arrived and found 34-year-old Matthew Poulin of North Port outside the home but he refused to follow the officers’ commands, according to police.

Poulin shoved an officer and was taken to the ground, where he was electronically subdued multiple times but continued to kick, punch and bite police, according to a statement from the department.

Poulin also choked a North Port police K-9, Dutch, who was used to help apprehend Poulin, during the struggle, police said.

He is charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest obstructing an officer with violence and offense against a police dog. Poulin has previously been convicted of burglary, kidnapping and home invasion, Department of Corrections records show.

The incident remains under investigation and will be reviewed.

Dutch, police reported, is fine.

This story was originally published October 18, 2017 at 7:34 AM with the headline "Man charged with choking police dog."