Texas Police K-9 Dies After Search for Suspect
Source Officer.com News
An Arlington, Texas police dog died after searching for an aggravated assault suspect Tuesday.
K-9 Mojo joined detectives in tracking 17-year-old Shune Deon Arnold Jr. -- a fugitive wanted in conjunction with the shooting of another man on July 12 -- when the dog fell ill, according to a news release.
A warrant had been secured and officers attempted to conducted a traffic stop on Arnold's vehicle around 8 a.m. in the 7100 block of Chambers Creek Court when the and the suspect bailed out and fled on foot.
Officers set up a perimeter and chased the suspect on foot but he continued to elude officers in the area.
A K-9 team was dispatched around 10 a.m. to assist in search. Around 11:15 a.m., handler Vince Ramsour notified officers that Mojo appeared to be overheating in the search and requested water and an immediate transport to the animal hospital.
Mojo was transported to an animal hospital and was pronounced dead around 2:30 p.m. after efforts to save him were unsuccessful.
The Belgian Malinois, was born in Holland and has been with the department since June of 2010.
Mojo is the first Arlington Police K-9 to die in the line of duty.
"Today we experienced a significant loss to our APD team. Mojo was an exceptional K9 partner, friend, and served the citizens of Arlington honorably," Assistant Police Chief Kevin Kolbye said in a statement.
Arnold was apprehended around 4:30 p.m. after a 911 caller reported seeing him in the area.
Paul Peluso | Editor
Paul Peluso is the Managing Editor of OFFICER Magazine and has been with the Officer Media Group since 2006. He began as an Associate Editor, writing and editing content for Officer.com. Previously, Paul worked as a reporter for several newspapers in the suburbs of Baltimore, MD.
