Man who stabbed Solano sheriff's K-9 sentenced to over 4 years in prison

A man convicted of stabbing a Solano County Sheriff's Office K-9 during a chase was sentenced to four years and eight months in state prison, prosecutors announced on Thursday.

Back on Aug. 3, a jury found Harvey Harris guilty of personally inflicting serious injury on a police animal while armed with a knife and evading an officer with willful disregard, the Solano County District Attorney's Office said.

The incident happened nearly four months prior, on April 7, when officials said Deputy Michael Ferrando spotted a vehicle traveling 25 miles per hour on Interstate 80 near Dixon Avenue.

The deputy used his vehicle's PA system to call for the driver to speed up. When the driver did not comply, the deputy attempted to pull Harris over. Harris instead led deputies on a 35-minute chase before stopping just east of the Travis Boulevard exit in Fairfield.

While stopped, Harris refused multiple orders to exit the vehicle, prompting Ferrando to deploy his K-9 partner, Ty.

Moments after Ty entered Harris' vehicle, prosecutors said he began stabbing the K-9, resulting in a fracture and multiple stab wounds to the dog's neck.

Ferrando and another deputy retrieved Ty from the vehicle, while Harris refused to drop the knife used in the stabbing. Officials said one of the deputies used a baton to knock the knife from Harris' grasp.

Harris was then taken into custody.

The district attorney's office said Ty survived and has since returned to work.