K9 Grabs Alleged Catalytic Converter Thief By His ‘Jewels,’ Gives Him ‘Bite To The Biscuit’

Farmington, MO – An alleged catalytic converter thief was apprehended by a St. Francois County sheriff’s K9 who took the wanted fugitive down with a “bite to the biscuit” early Monday morning, according to investigators.

The Park Hills Police Department (PHPD) had been investigating a series of catalytic converter thefts that took place in the community between Feb. 18 and Feb. 20, the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department (SFCSD) said in a press release on Monday.

The suspect was said to be driving a utility terrain vehicle (UTV).

SFCSD deputies and PHPD officers devoted extra patrol efforts to the areas where the thief had been striking, and their persistence paid off early Monday morning when investigators spotted the suspect and his UTV, according to the sheriff’s office.

The alleged thief, later identified as Kevin Moore, refused to stop his side-by-side vehicle and instead led officers on an off-road pursuit through a power line before driving the UTV back onto Hovis Farm Road.

“After a short pursuit with the UTV, the suspect fled on foot,” the SFCSD said. “The K-9 Deputy gave commands for the suspect to stop, which were ignored.”

That’s when the deputy deployed his partner, K9 TEO.

K9 TEO immediately chased Moore down and moved in to apprehend him, at which point the suspect allegedly tried to assault the police dog.

“TEO, however, would not be beat…” the sheriff’s department said.

The determined K9 ultimately grabbed Moore by his “jewels” and took him down with a “bite to the biscuit,” according to the SFCSD.

“A police K-9 is trained to apprehend a suspect. No police K-9 is trained to apprehend a suspect in certain areas,” the sheriff’s department noted. “When a suspect fights a police K-9, the K-9 will apprehend by any means necessary, even if that means a bite to the biscuit.”

K9 TEO was rewarded with “a treat and mouth wash” while Moore was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injury, according to the SFCSD.

Investigators said Moore had an outstanding $100,000 warrant for felony possession of a controlled substance and felony possession of a weapon at the time of the incident.

He will be transported to the St. Francois County Detention Center after he is released from the hospital, according to the sheriff’s department.