A UK-based police dog is being called a hero.  The furry crime fighter took down an axe-wielding maniac after he mistook the man's weapon as a toy.

The incident unfolded last November after police received a call that a seemingly unstable man was waiving an axe through the air.  The intoxicated suspect was considered to be armed and dangerous.

The caller speculated the man may have been drinking.  Authorities arrived to the scene a short time later.  It was at that time that the dog, Rossi, mistook suspect Adrian Dowdall's axe for a toy.   Rossi leaped through the air and wrestled the item from the suspect's hands.

Police reportedly said the dog jumped at least 8' off the ground in order to snag it.   He then spit the item out of his mouth and bit the suspect.  His handler was able to handcuff the man and take him into custody without further incident.

A department spokesperson said the 7 year-old German Shepard was likely not trying to be a hero.  They say that Rossi is not trained to disarm offenders, but to detain them.
Dowdall has since been sentenced to 160 days in jail.  Court records show he was convicted of wielding a bladed weapon in a public place.

Rossi is scheduled to retire later this year.