A man was ordered held without bail after being charged with slashing a police dog.

Kevin Armstrong, age 39, faces six charges, the most serious being assaulting a police dog with a razor blade.

Police said Armstrong's girlfriend filed a restraining order against him last week. Armstrong allegedly violated the restraining order twice by going to the home they shared at 27 Hillcrest Lane in Pelham, N.H.

Police received two calls of suspicious activity outside the home. During the second call, police located Armstrong and used a police dog to try to capture him.

"As soon as the K-9 reached Armstrong, he proceeded to swing a razor blade, cutting the K-9 about the head," Sgt. Gary Fisher said. "Officers at that point deployed their Tazing device."

Armstrong was arrested, but not before the German shepherd was cut twice with a box cutter. One injury was close to the dog's eye, and the other was on the dog's ear.

  (Photo courtesy of WMUR 9)  "The dog was taken to the vet, where he got treatment, and is currently under medication," Fisher said.

The police dog, Zahn, is expected to make a full recovery.

"It's not unusual to see them hit or kicked or something like that, but to have a weapon pulled on the dog -- it's the first time in Pelham where a weapon was actually taken out on a K-9," Fisher said.

Armstrong was also wanted on charges out of Massachusetts.

If convicted Armstrong faces up to 3 1/2 to 7 years in prison.

Update 1/15/06:

Armstrong is no stranger to the court system.  In July 1998, Armstrong, then 31 years old, fled on foot, hopping 2 fences, jumping onto a moving car and running through a hardware store to elude police.  Armstrong actually has an extensive criminal record spanning several decades.  In this instance he fled the Derry District Court in the middle of his arraignment on drug charges.

Armstrong's other crimes include possession of a controlled substance, driving an unregistered vehicle and misuse of plates.

Armstrong's arrest record included 4 counts of larceny in 19888; possession of cocaine with intent to distribute 1992; forgery & providing false information, 3 counts of simple assault, 1 count of 2nd degree assault and assault and battery in 1993; violation of a restraining order, threatening, and fugitive from justice in 1997.  All of out of either Massachusetts of New Hampshire.

In regards to the case regarding Armstrong for escaping from the courthouse Armstrong, pled guilty to one count of escape but appealed an order of the Superior Court requiring him to pay restitution for medical expenses incurred by a police officer, who was injured while attempting to apprehend him during commission of the escape Case #2004-132).  The medical expenses of the officer totaled $13,372.35.  Armstrong was given an evidentiary hearing so that he could challenge the reasonableness of the medical bills.  In the end the court found that Armstrong must pay $13,070.10 in restitution for reasonable medical expenses.  Armstrong wanted to appeal this ruling as well but State argued that Armstrong waived this argument when he agreed to pay restitution in his guilty plea.

Reference:

Derry District Court records

The Supreme Court of New Hampshire records

The Nashua Telegraph

The Union Leader

WMUR 9