A St. Augustine man choked a St. Johns County K-9 during an August 31 standoff at an Old City home, according to an arrest report.
Deputies were called to a residence on Oakland Avenue around 11 a.m. after receiving word that John Gregory II was hiding in a wooden shed on the property.
Gregory had an active warrant for violating probation on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon case and was barred from being at the address under court orders, papers state.
When deputies arrived, they saw a woman outside who denied knowing if anyone was inside.
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The structure had no front door, and deputies reported hearing noises inside that sounded like footsteps.
Despite repeated commands to surrender, Gregory stayed hidden.
A K-9 handler then deployed his dog, Junior, through a crawlspace.
Inside, deputies said Gregory grabbed the dog around the neck and attempted to choke him.
“John was ordered to release hold of Junior, but he refused to do so,” the arrest report states. The handler “had to physically
remove Junior from the building to prevent any harm and to get Junior away from John.”
Gregory eventually crawled out and was placed in handcuffs.
St. Johns County Fire Rescue treated Gregory for minor bite wounds before he was taken to Flagler Hospital for medical clearance.
He was later booked into the county jail on a charge of resisting law enforcement with violence and attempting to injure an animal — both felonies.
