Originally published Wednesday, January 2, 2008 at 12:00 AM

Man leaps off bridge, taking police dog with him

A man being chased by authorities grabbed a police dog and leaped off the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, taking the animal with him into the...

By The Associated Press

CORONADO, Calif. — A man being chased by authorities grabbed a police dog and leaped off the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, taking the animal with him into the ocean water 200 feet below.

The fugitive survived and was in serious condition Tuesday with a collapsed lung, but the fall killed the dog.

The 27-year-old man will be charged with causing the dog's death, driving under the influence and evading police, authorities said.

The pursuit began Monday evening after an Oceanside officer saw the man driving a GMC pickup erratically. The officer, accompanied by a Belgian Malinois named Stryker, ordered the driver to stop but he refused, California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Larry Landeros said.

The man led police on a chase on a section of Interstate 5 and onto the bridge, where he stopped and the officer released Stryker.

"The dog actually took the driver to the ground and then [the driver] ... lifted the dog up and jumped over the side," CHP Sgt. Steven Toth said.

The man had not been identified as of late Tuesday.

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