A Ventura man was arrested Tuesday after waving around a replica firearm and running from police, who then deployed a K-9 and a water hose, officials said.
Jeffrey Wheelock, 37, was arrested on suspicion of brandishing a replica firearm, battery on a police dog, resisting arrest and trespassing, the Ventura Police Department said.
Police responded to call around 3 p.m. Tuesday of a person armed and brandishing a handgun near the intersection of Thompson Boulevard and Garden Street, the department said.
Officers arrived and contacted the victim, who reported last seeing Wheelock climbing a fence and going underneath the Highway 101 overpass at Garden Street, officials said. He was found hiding in a crawl space under the overpass.
Wheelock is known by officers to frequent the area, the department said.
Officers told Wheelock to come out of the crawl space several times but he refused and would not show them his hands, police said.
Since officers had reports that Wheelock was possibly armed with a handgun, the department said, they deployed a Ventura police K-9. Wheelock began hitting the dog in the head and further wedged himself into the crawl space, according to officials.
Crisis negotiation officers tried to negotiate with him for approximately 30 minutes but were unsuccessful. Officers then shot water at him, using a fire hose in an attempt to flush Wheelock out, but he still wouldn’t budge, police said.
The K-9 was deployed again while officers approached the crawl space and physically took him into custody.
During a search of his belongings, two replica firearms were found, police said.
Wheelock was taken to a local hospital to be treated for injuries resulting from a dog bite and was then booked in jail.
