A Gainesville man was arrested Sunday night and accused of hitting a police dog after it tracked him down during a foot chase.
James Cantrall Grant, 33, was charged with striking a police dog, resisting an officer without violence and being a habitual traffic offender, according to a Gainesville Police arrest report.
Around 10 p.m. Sunday, Officer Robert White pulled over Grant for a traffic infraction. Grant immediately got out of the car and started walking away. White ordered Grant to stop, but Grant ignored him and ran into a heavily wooded area near Southeast 10th Avenue.
A K-9 unit arrived on the scene after GPD learned Grant was a habitual traffic offender and had an active warrant. His license was revoked in 1996. The warrant was for violating his parole in failing to register as a sex offender, according to the report.
After tracking Grant for about a quarter of a mile through thick palmetto bushes, Justice, the dog, found Grant hiding in a large bush. While trying to break free, Grant pulled on Justice’s head and then punched Justice multiple times, according to police.
After the scuffle, Justice had a cut snout and Grant had a leg wound.
Grant’s mother, who answered a phone number provided by Grant, said she didn’t know what happened. She said she went to Shands at UF on Sunday to see her son but he was under police custody.
Grant was still in jail without bond as of press time.
Contact Samantha Shavell at sshavell@alligator.org.
