Fact Check: "Man kicks police K9 so hard it goes airborne!"
What We Know
An incident occurred at Dulles International Airport where an international traveler, Hamed Aly Marie, allegedly kicked a police K9 named Freddy with such force that the dog was lifted off the ground. This event took place while Freddy was assisting in screening luggage from EgyptAir flight 981. According to a federal air marshal's affidavit, Marie approached the K9 and a Customs and Border Protection agent and, shortly thereafter, kicked Freddy, causing injury that required veterinary attention (CBS News). Marie has been charged with willfully and maliciously harming a police animal, and as of the latest reports, no plea has been entered in the case (Yahoo).
Analysis
The claim that a man kicked a police K9 so hard that it went airborne is substantiated by multiple credible sources. The primary source, CBS News, provides a detailed account of the incident, including the context of the K9's duties and the subsequent injury sustained by the dog (CBS News). The affidavit cited in the report is a legal document, which adds a layer of reliability to the claim, as it is based on eyewitness accounts from law enforcement officials.
Moreover, the incident has been reported by other reputable outlets, including Yahoo, which confirms the details of the charges against Marie and the nature of the assault on the K9 (Yahoo). The consistency across these reports enhances the credibility of the claim.
While the sources are primarily news outlets, they are known for their journalistic standards and fact-checking processes. CBS News, for instance, has a long history of reporting on legal and law enforcement matters, which lends additional credibility to their coverage of this incident.
Conclusion
The claim that a man kicked a police K9 so hard that it went airborne is True. The evidence from multiple reliable sources corroborates the details of the incident, including the actions taken by the individual involved and the resulting injury to the K9. The legal charges filed against Marie further validate the seriousness of the incident.