Dog dies after officer fires shot to save his K9 partner, cops say

An officer drew his gun in defense of a canine officer dog being attacked by another dog while Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office deputies chased a fleeing suspect Monday.

At about 4:30 p.m., deputies were serving an arrest warrant along Shell Point Road in Shallotte, North Carolina in connection with failure to appear at a Robeson County court date when the suspect, 32-year-old Jamil Correa, fled from deputies, according to a release from Emily Flax, BCSO spokeswoman.

A foot chase ensued as Correa ran from authorities, and minutes later an officer with the BCSO canine unit came to help, police said.

The officer and his canine partner were tracking the suspect through a yard when a chained-up dog broke free and attacked the canine.

The canine officer asked someone at the home to take control of the dog attacking the police canine, but the person refused, according to the release.

“The K9 deputy then drew his duty weapon and fired one shot, wounding the dog,” the release states.

The injured dog’s owner signed custody over to Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Animal Protective Services, and the dog was later euthanized because of the injury, authorities said.

Correa was later captured and arrested, police said, and he is charged with resisting a public officer, the release says.

“Brunswick County Sheriff Office of Professional Standards is investigating the incident, however, based on preliminary findings, the K9 officer’s actions were determined justified,” the release states.

This story was originally published December 19, 2017 at 2:12 PM with the headline "Dog dies after officer fires shot to save his K9 partner, cops say."