Police in Wichita, Kansas, say a robbery suspect strangled a dog from their K-9 unit to death, according to local ABC affiliate KAKE.
“Today at about 11:54 this morning, the Wichita Police Department Domestic Intervention and Violence Reduction team was in this area attempting to locate a 24-year-old male robbery suspect,” the Wichita Police Department’s Lieutenant Aaron Moses told the media in a video obtained by KAKE.
When the officers found the suspect he “fled on foot” and “barricaded himself” in a storm drain, according to Moses.
“After numerous attempts of negotiation with the suspect failed, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and the Wichita Police Department both deployed K-9 officers or K-9 dogs into the drain, along with a camera,” Moses continued.
“There was an altercation between the suspect and the Sedgwick County Sheriff K-9 and at 1:34 the Sedgwick County Sheriff K-9 dog was pronounced deceased on scene,” Moses explained.
RIP. Kansas K9 Bane was murdered when he was strangled to death while apprehending a suspect wanted for robbery and domestic violence warrants. #rip #hero #murdered #K9Bane #thinblueline #SedgwickCountySheriffsOffice #bluelivesmatter #protectingtheblue #becarefuloutthere #oplive pic.twitter.com/vu5whKil8F
— Protecting the Blue (@protectingblue) November 17, 2023
An hour later the suspect surrendered and was obtained, Moses noted. (RELATED: K9 Officer Smokes Suspect Out Of His Hiding Place)
Sheriff Jeff Easter from the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office also said police believe the suspect strangled the dog, PSD Bane, to death.
“We were able to retrieve Bane, CPR was performed for about 30 to 40 minutes between our K-9 handler and EMS but was not able to revive him,” Easter revealed. He added that the department is still reviewing video footage of the incident.
Easter noted the eight-year-old Bane was “an excellent dog. He was probably our best patrol dog that we had.”
“We will transport Bane to a safe location where an autopsy will be performed to determine manner of death so proper charging can be done with the District Attorney’s office,” Easter stated.
Moses revealed that the suspect, who remains unnamed, was originally slated to be charged with robbery and domestic violence battery, but could face additional charges after the investigation is completed.
The suspect was taken to Sedgwick County Jail after being treated for minor injuries, according to Moses.