Advertisement OPD canine recovering after being hit with metal pipe 'Tye' was chasing suspect who ran into Interstate 80 traffic Friday afternoon. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A man is under arrest after bringing Interstate 80 to a stand still during Friday rush hour, and injuring an Omaha Police Department canine officer in the process, the department said.According to OPD, “Tye” was struck by a metal pipe and needed emergency medical attention, but is now recovering well.The situation unfolded late Friday afternoon when police say they got reports that a man was walking in the westbound traffic lanes of I-80 near 42nd Street.Officers arrived and said they saw the suspect, 24-year-old Edgar Garcia-Herrera, carrying a broken glass bottle and a metal pipe.He refused to leave the traffic lanes and jumped over the eastbound side of interstate.Nebraska State Patrol officers came and blocked all eastbound traffic.Officers say Garcia-Herrera started throwing rocks at them. They attempted to use a stun gun on the suspect, but weren’t successful, OPD said. Officers then sent “Tye” after the man, used a stun gun again, and got a hold of the suspect.Garcia-Herrera had minor injuries and was taken to Nebraska Medicine; at one point, police say he struck Tye with the metal pipe, and the dog needed emergency veterinarian treatment.No other officers were injured, the department said.Saturday morning, OPD posted an update about Tye to its Facebook page:“OPD K-9 Tye was injured while assisting several of his human counterparts in the apprehension of a party on Interstate 80 last night. We are very happy to report that he is home with his handler and taking a few days off to recover. He will continue followup appointments to make sure he is in the best of health before returning to work.Thank you to all the members of our amazing community who have expressed concern for Tye.”Garcia-Herrera was booked for assault on an officer, four counts of attempted assault on an officer, destruction of property, obstructing a peace officer and resisting arrest.