Armed Felon Charged after Allegedly Shooting Fort Lauderdale Police K-9

MIAMI – A grand jury returned an indictment Thursday charging a Fort Lauderdale man with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after allegedly firing at a police K-9 during a pursuit in Fort Lauderdale.

According to court records, on April 18, law enforcement responded to a residential burglary in which a firearm had been stolen. Officers established a perimeter and, with assistance from aviation and K-9 units, located Christian Bouie, 30, of Fort Lauderdale, hiding in a tree in a nearby yard. When ordered to come down, Bouie fled, scaled a fence, and ran into an adjacent property.

As a police K-9 pursued him, Bouie allegedly pulled out a firearm and fired two rounds at the dog, striking the dog. Bouie continued fleeing before officers ultimately apprehended him. After taking Bouie into custody, officers recovered a firearm from his pocket.

“Police K-9s protect our officers, our neighborhoods, and our families,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This indictment alleges that a convicted felon unlawfully possessed a firearm and fired at a police K-9 during a pursuit in Fort Lauderdale. When armed felons allegedly endanger law enforcement and the public, our Office will prosecute those cases to the fullest extent of federal law.”

Bouie has prior felony convictions, including a conviction for robbery with a firearm, and is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.

If convicted, Bouie faces up to 15 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, made the announcement. 

ATF Miami Field Division is investigating the case, with assistance from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Ustynoski is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.