A Manteca Police canine was kicked in the head Saturday night by a suspect who was being ordered out of bushes where he was hiding.
Sgt. Jodie Estarziau said officers had been dispatched to Geneva Lane and North Airport Way to investigate a report of a fight between three males. Officer Mike Espinosa aired that he located a subject, Christopher Wardlow, who was attempting to hide from him in the bushes along the sound wall on the east side of North Airport Way.
Officer Jason Massey arrived and joined Espinosa in attempting to talk Wardlow out of the bushes.  Officer Massey’s canine “Max” was at his side. Their attempts to bring  Wardlow out of the bushes were repeatedly ignored by the suspect. 
Wardlow continued to ignore additional orders to come out of the bushes and  threatened the officers. He began walking through the bushes out of sight. Wardlow’s temperament and speech suggested that he was planning on fighting the two officers when he exited from his hiding place, Estarziau said.. 
Police said that once the man stepped from the bushes onto the sidewalk, he delivered a front kick to Max, striking him on the head.  Officer Massey responded by deploying his canine partner to take custody of the suspect with him attempting a bite near his left thigh.
Wardlow was taken to the ground and officers were able to detain him in handcuffs without incident. He said he had not been injured and declined medics who were called to the scene. 
He was charged with inflicting ijury on a police canine, resisting arrest and public intoxication.  As of Monday evening he had been released from custody at county jail.