A man has been arrested after assaulting a police dog and its handler in Christchurch.
At around 5.15pm on Thursday, police received reports of a man behaving suspiciously and trying to get into cars passing by on Greers Rd.
The assault occurred after the officer and his dog arrived and got out of the patrol car before members of the public stopped and intervened.
Canterbury district commander Superintendent John Price praised those civilians, saying: "An enormous thank you to those who stood by our officer.
"Thankfully, the dog handler and their dog are not seriously injured and are safe at home, recuperating with their whānau."
