Sheriff's K-9 Jedi returns to duty weeks after being stabbed in the head

A Sacramento County sheriff's K-9 who was stabbed while in pursuit of a suspect last month has recovered and returned to duty.

The 3-year-old German shepherd named Jedi, who suffered head wounds and a scratched cornea from the attack, was released from a veterinary clinic May 19 after successful surgery.

Jedi and his handler, Deputy Javier Bustamante, made a recent visit to a retirement facility, near the location of the stabbing in Carmichael. The pair and the retirement home's residents celebrated Jedi's speedy recovery, according to a Saturday afternoon Facebook post.

The K-9 was assailed by Jackie Burke, 41, of West Sacramento on May 19. Burke is a convicted sex offender and was pursued after a tip from a parole officer off about Burke's possible involvement in a domestic violence incident, the Sheriff's Department said in a news release at the time.

Burke was arrested and faced felony charges for harming a police animal and driving recklessly while evading an officer, as well as a charge for parole violation.

Jedi was named in June 2017 by Jacob Honsiger, a teenager fighting a rare type of brain tumor, and a lover of dogs and "Star Wars."

This story was originally published June 23, 2018 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Sheriff's K-9 Jedi returns to duty weeks after being stabbed in the head."