Police arrested a Cornish man accused of stabbing a police dog during a 24-hour standoff that authorities say began when he damaged a neighbor’s home with a tractor and slashed the neighbor’s tires in an unprovoked attack.

The tires of a neighbor’s car in Cornish were slashed. Courtesy York County Sheriff’s Department

When police went to the scene at 68 Spur Road to investigate, they say Edward Kalinoski, 66, retreated to his home and refused to come out. The neighbor reported that Kalinoski appeared to have a handgun when he vandalized the property, York County Sheriff William L. King Jr. said.

Deputies called in the county’s SWAT team, crisis negotiators and mental health experts to try to talk Kalinoski down, but Kalinoski did not engage with them on Thursday, King said in a statement. At one point, when Kalinoski appeared to be unarmed, officers sent in a police dog, but Kalinoski had access to a knife and stabbed the police K9, named Gunther, in each hind leg.

Gunther was transported to the Scarborough Animal Hospital where he was treated and released, King said.

Police then performed a “targeted dismantling” of part of Kalinoski’s home so they could fire chemical irritants inside. At times he appeared armed with knives or improvised weapons.

Gunther the K9 Courtesy York County Sheriff’s Department

At 6:30 a.m. Friday, 24 hours after the standoff began, Kalinoski emerged from the home with what was later discovered to be a replica gun, and was taken into custody by the tactical team and transported to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

At first, police believed the disagreement between Kalinoski and his neighbor arose from a landscaping dispute, but police later said the attack was unprovoked.

A judge granted police an arrest warrant for Kalinoski and authorized a search of his home. He was charged with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, criminal threatening, criminal mischief and refusal to submit to arrest or detention, King said.

Spur Road was closed from Joe Berry Road to Route 5 while deputies dealt with the situation.