A police K-9 in Wilmington, N.C., nearly lost its ear when a fugitive bit it in an altercation Sunday.

A police dog in North Carolina nearly sacrificed its ear when a fugitive bit it as he tried to wrestle his way loose from the authorities.

At 4:28 p.m. Sunday, police officers in Wilmington, N.C., got a tip on the whereabouts of 22-year-old Keith Glaspie, who had eluded an arrest for a nonfatal Friday shooting. When police spotted him on Henry Street in Wilmington, he fled on foot, police said.

A 2-year-old police dog K-9 named Maxx soon caught up with Glaspie, and in the ensuing struggle, Glaspie tore into Maxx's ear with his teeth, severing it in two and requiring more than 15 stitches. In exchange, Maxx bit Glaspie, who was treated for wounds to his thigh at New Hanover Regional Medical Center before police took him to jail.

"When [Glaspie] was biting the dog, it was something we haven't seen," Cpl. David Pellegrino told ABC affiliate WWAY in Wilmington. "Yes, our dogs do get assaulted, but no one has ever tried to cannibalize one of our animals before."

The altercation Sunday followed a string of legal troubles for Glaspie, who is being held on a $1,025 million bond.

Glaspie allegedly opened fire on an occupied vehicle while riding by on a bicycle last Friday. And on June 5, Wilmington police attempted to pull Glaspie over when he jumped out of his car and escaped to a nearby house. A relative walked him out after police officers surrounded the house. Police then booked Glaspie in the New Hanover County jail, but he was released after posting a $5,000 bond, police said.

Glaspie now faces charges of felony assault on law enforcement animal, resisting arrest, assault on a law enforcement officer, property damage and possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, according to WWAY.