West Midlands police dog slashed more than 20 times with machete handed bravery award
PD Stark was searching for a suspect when he was attacked
Last updated 15th Sep 2021
A rookie police dog who was beaten, hit and slashed with a machete more than 20 times but refused to let go of the suspect he was detaining has been honoured with a bravery award.
Dramatic video footage showed the moment PD Stark, who was searching allotments for thieves following reports of suspicious activity, tracked and detained a suspect as he attacked the young police dog with what his handler initially thought was a stick. It wasn’t until PC Paul Hopley managed to intervene and arrest the young man that he saw his four-legged partner was bleeding.
Belgian Malinois cross German Shepherd PD Stark was bred as part of the West Midlands Police breeding scheme and was, like his littermates, aptly named after the brave Game of Thrones family, the Starks. All five pups went on to become police dogs either within the force or elsewhere.
PC Paul Hopley – who joined West Midlands Police in 1994 and worked for 17 years as a traffic cop and seven years in forensic collision investigations before joining the dog unit in 2018 – was an experienced police officer but was new to the dog unit when he was partnered with young PD Stark.
The rookie duo licensed in April 2019 and hit the streets. At around 4am on 14 December 2020, PC Hopley and PD Stark were called out to allotments in Handsworth for a routine check following reports of suspicious activity in the area.
PC Hopley said: “We were searching for around 20 minutes in the pitch dark and I was very aware that I was there alone but I have complete trust in Stark and I knew that, if there was someone to find, he’d find them. He located the offender and gave chase so I followed and could hear the sound of him hitting Stark. I shouted and told him to stop hitting him but everything escalated so quickly.
“He was raining blows down onto him, he hit him well over 20 times. It was such a shock to see Stark being hurt; I thought he was going to kill him. He didn’t yelp, he didn’t leave him or run back to me for protection He was such a young, inexperienced dog but he stayed on task and, despite being viciously attacked, he never backed down.”
The officer used his incapacitant spray which stopped the offender swinging his weapon giving PD Stark the opportunity to detain him and gave PC Hopley the opportunity to push him to the ground and arrest him, while the dog dragged him away from what turned out to be a machete.
“It wasn’t until afterwards that I realised how bad it could have been,” PC Hopley said. “When I saw the blood I realised how lucky he was to be alive; and how lucky I was to still have him. Now, I find it really difficult to watch the footage from my body worn camera that night; I find it really upsetting to see how close I was to losing Stark.”
Stark was rushed to a local vet where he needed stitches for two deep lacerations to his face; one just 5mm from his eye. He’d suffered nine strikes to the face and staff were concerned he may have suffered internal injuries. He had four weeks off operational duty to recover, during which time the dedicated duo completed a two-week training course to qualify for firearms support.
They returned to full duty and, there first night shift back at work, were called out to dark gardens to search for a man who’d fled from officers.
“I didn’t know how PD Stark would react as I got him out of the car but he went straight to task; there was no apprehension, fear or hesitation, which goes to show his courage and dedication to his job and to me. He’s incredibly resilient and it’s a privilege to work with him; he’s well-mannered and well-tempered but he has that edge when he needs to.
“You could never doubt his bravery or courage but his ability as a police dog also continues to improve day by day. He’s still a young dog and I know he has many successful years ahead.”
In February 2021, a 17-year-old appeared in court where he was sentenced to an eight-month detention training order for possession of a bladed weapon and causing unnecessary suffering to a service animal; using Finn’s Law – new legislation that was introduced following the campaign that was spearheaded by PC Dave Wardell, co-founder of the Thin Blue Paw Foundation and owner of retired police dog, Finn, who was lucky to survive after being stabbed in the line of duty.
On 14 September, PD Stark received the Thin Blue Paw Outstanding Bravery award – for a serving police dog who has shown extraordinary bravery in the line of duty – at the inaugural Thin Blue Paw Awards, supported by Animal Friends Insurance. The brave dog had been nominated by multiple police colleagues as well as strangers who’d heard his story.
Superintendent Sarah Burton from West Midlands Police said: “When our police dogs get injured it is felt by everyone across the whole policing family. Thankfully Stark made a full recovery and was back at work within weeks of the attack which is remarkable.
“Our police dogs are an integral part of our police family and play a huge part in keeping us all safe. We are so proud of both PC Hopley and PD Stark for their immense bravery in what was a very scary situation.”
PC Hopley said: “I was really touched that so many people felt he deserved the award, some who had never even met him or me. It was humbling. I am immensely proud of him. It’s an honour to work with him every day; I know he would have my back if anything went wrong and he’d look after me, as I would him.”
Thin Blue Paw trustee Kieran Stanbridge said: “PD Stark showed incredible commitment to his job and astounding bravery, illustrating how these amazing dogs put their lives on the line every day to do their job and keep their handler – and the public – safe.
“I’m so glad we’re able to recognise Stark’s valour and celebrate his recovery from this awful ordeal. This award is the least he deserves in recognition of the incredible job he does every single day.”
PD Stark lives with PC Hopley and his partner, Michelle, at their home in Lichfield, Staffordshire along with their pet rescue dog Roxy and his explosives detection dog, springer spaniel Bobby. PC Hopley is due to retire in two years but hopes to work a little longer so he can retire with his four-legged partner and keep his best friend by his side once the lights and sirens go out.