Talladega man arrested after stabbing police canine

Frank Leonard Andrews

Following a day-long manhunt, a Talladega man is in custody on multiple felony charges, including assaulting a police dog.

48 year old Frank Leonard Andrews,  was arrested in Brecon Mobile Home Park on Wednesday at about 6:30 p.m.

According to Talladega police Capt. Leon Thomas, a resident reported seeing a man matching Andrews’ description. The man attempted to flee from the officers responding to that call but was tackled and taken into custody.

Officers had been pursuing Andrews on Tuesday night in connection with outstanding warrants. The search grew significantly after Andrews allegedly stabbed Andor, the city’s police dog Tuesday night.

Andrews was convicted of two counts of sexual abuse in the first degree involving 7- and 8-year-old girls in Montgomery County in 1997. He was released from prison in 2010.

Thomas said Andrews was arrested in October for failure to register as a convicted sex offender in Talladega. He posted bond on the failure to register charge, but then did not appear in court.

The Talladega County Sheriff’s Office also had a warrant for failure to make his quarterly check-in as required by law, and Calhoun County also had an active warrant for felony receipt of stolen property.

The first attempt to take Andrews into custody was made at about 9 p.m. Tuesday on Grogan Road. He fled into a nearby wooded area through a briar thicket, and Andor and handler Daniel Chesser were called to take part in the chase.

Officers were able to maintain visual contact with Andrews for a while but could never get him to stop.

Andor was eventually let off the leash, picked up the scent and was sent to apprehend Andrews. officers then reported hearing a yell, believed to be Andrews, but then lost contact with the dog for about 20 minutes.

When contact was reestablished, Andor had blood around his mouth, indicating that he had bitten Andrews, but also had two cuts on the top of his head and a stab wound 2 to 4 inches thick in the middle of his back.

The dog was taken to a veterinarian in Lincoln, where he was given stitches and his other wounds were treated. He is expected to recover.

After Andor was stabbed, other police dogs from Oxford and the St. Clair Correctional Facility were brought in to join the chase.

These dogs were also able to pick up the scent for a time but lost it when Andrews appeared to cross a road. The search was called off at about 1 a.m., but resumed at first light Wednesday.

In addition to the dogs, a helicopter from the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office also joined the hunt, along with off-duty police officers and Talladega County sheriff’s deputies.