VISTA (KGTV) -- The man charged with stabbing a sheriff’s dog then holding a victim hostage before he was eventually shot by deputies faced a judge Tuesday at the North County Reginal Center.
Edward Nett sat quietly next to his attorney as his preliminary hearing began.
The chaotic morning happened back in December 2016 in front of an apartment complex on Paseo Delicias near La Granada in Rancho Santa Fe.
Deputies first responded to the neighborhood after getting reports of Nett, armed with a knife yelling and breaking items in from of the apartment complex.
Deputies said they tried to subdue Nett, but when he wouldn’t cooperate they released the sheriff K9, named Banjer.
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Nett fought back, stabbing the dog right below the eye.
Prosecutors say he then forced his way into an apartment unit, holding a man hostage at knifepoint.
Several sheriff’s deputies will take the witness stand Tuesday, but the first person up was the man that says he was held hostage by Nett.
Nett’s facial expression in court didn’t change, as the hostage victim took the stand.
The 25-year-old victim said he woke up early in the morning to a man yelling outside of his apartment.
He then said he heard deputies telling the man to put a knife down.
“I was listening to them argue back and forth, then more officers started coming,” said the victim who asked to remain anonymous.
That’s when he said Nett forced his way into his unit.
“He starts kicking the door in while I was trying to tie my shoe,” he said. “I stayed behind the couch quietly while he starts throwing some furniture in front of the door to barricade himself.”
“He yelled out to police that he had a hostage and he would slit his throat.”
The victim was able to get away safely from Nett and lock himself in the restroom, but that’s when prosecutors say Nett stepped outside of the unit and told deputies that he had slit the victim’s throat.
A deputy then opened fire, striking Nett several times. Nett suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Banjer is recovering.
