Tereora was chased by police dog Loui. Photo / Supplied
The man who allegedly throttled a police dog while on the run will face trial at the High Court.
Alex Tereora appeared at the High Court at Auckland today and faces firearms charges and a charge of assault with intent to rob.
His lawyer Roger Chambers said his client was clear that he wanted his case to go to trial.
Justice Timothy Brewer set the trial date for February next year and remanded Tereora in custody.
Tereora went on the run with a co-accused John Koteka.
The pair are alleged to have robbed tourists at gunpoint at the summit of Auckland's Mt Eden in February this year.
Police caught up with the pair in Cambridge before tracking them to Tamahere on the southern outskirts of Hamilton, where police laid road spikes.
Police said Tereora and Koteka fled in a stolen car when officers signalled them to stop.
Police abandoned the chase when it reached speeds of 180km/h. Seconds later the car hit the road spikes and crashed.
Despite being injured, Tereora was chased by police dog Loui and two dog handlers to a nearby trucking yard where he allegedly assaulted an officer before fleeing again, with the police dog close behind.
Hamilton City area commander Greg Nicholls previously said Loui's handler came around a corner to find the dog being choked.
The handler, who has not been identified, fired a warning shot into the air and Tereora fled.
When Loui, who had passed out, regained consciousness he leaped back into action, helping his handler to arrest the offender, police said.
According to police, Loui got a couple of days off to recover.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority is overseeing an investigation into the pursuit and the police dog handler's decision to fire the warning shot.
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