FORT SMITH (KFSM) — Fort Smith police arrested a man who fled as they tried to serve him with warrant and later hit a K9 officer with his car during the pursuit.
Christian Curiel, 23, was wanted on an aggravated assault with a firearm charge stemming from a domestic dispute with a woman on Wednesday (Oct. 10).
When officers tried to approach him around 10 a.m. Thursday (Oct. 11) morning to serve the warrant, he took off, said Cpl. Anthony Rice of the Fort Smith Police Department.
Rice said Curiel hit K9 officer Ringo in the tail with his car as he fled. Curiel then barricaded himself in his car before taking off on foot.
Curiel was captured at North 37th Street, and Johnson Street in an alley said Fort Smith Police spokesman Aric Mitchell.
K-9 officer Ringo and his handler Officer Keith Shelby are back to work after a trip to the vet following the incident.
"The vet gave him a clean bill of health and said he was good. He did say there was a small spot that was swollen, but he gave him an anti-inflammatory."
Curiel was taken to Mercy Hospital after police saw him swallowing something before they arrested him.
Curiel is now behind bars at the Sebastian County Detention Center on charges of aggravated assault on an officer, since Ringo is a sworn in Fort Smith, police officer.
Several Fort Smith schools were on a precautionary lockdown, including Kimmons Junior High School and Trusty Elementary School according to a school district spokeswoman.