Teen Suspect Dies After Fatally Shooting Police K-9 in Georgia
A tragic incident unfolded in Georgia as a 17-year-old suspect, Stephon Ford, lost his life in a police shooting after fatally shooting a police K-9 officer on Saturday.
The unfortunate event took place when K-9 Waro, the police dog, chased the suspect into a wooded area, as reported by the Clayton County Police Department. The situation escalated when Ford allegedly aimed a gun at officers and disregarded commands to drop the firearm, resulting in his own death.
Assistant Police Chief Bruce Parks expressed the sorrow felt by the law enforcement community, stating, “The overall situation is tragic. We hate it… this is not easy on us. It’s not easy on the suspect’s family. And it’s something that is going to take a while to get by.”
Initially responding to a call about “suspicious activity” at a hotel, the Jonesboro Police Department encountered Ford and two others. While the two men were apprehended and discovered with drug paraphernalia and weapons, Ford managed to escape, leading to an ongoing search.
In an attempt to locate Ford, Clayton Police officers joined the effort and eventually located the suspect in a wooded area. K-9 Waro, trained for such situations, was sent to apprehend Ford. However, Ford’s refusal to obey officers’ commands led to gunfire, injuring the brave police dog.
Tragically, K-9 Waro did not survive his injuries and passed away at an animal hospital. No human injuries were reported during the incident.
Earlier this year, a protective vest had been donated to K-9 Waro by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. Unfortunately, the K-9 never had the opportunity to wear this armor, as fate took a different turn.
The investigation into this unfortunate event is being led by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.