Alaska State Trooper's K-9 Shot, Killed After Vehicle Pursuit

A Wasilla, AK, man was shot and killed by troopers early Sunday after he led police on a high-speed chase and opened fire on a police dog, killing the animal, Alaska State Troopers said.

At 2:50 a.m. Sunday, troopers tried to make a traffic stop on a Subaru Legacy in Wasilla, according to a dispatch posted online.

The driver sped away, leading officers on a 45-minute chase that ended when troopers disabled the vehicle with spike strips, the Anchorage Daily News reports.

"The driver of the Subaru exited the vehicle, ignored commands from AST and attempted to flee," the dispatch said. When troopers deployed a K-9, the driver "turned and fired a handgun," killing the dog, troopers said. The troopers returned fire, critically wounding the suspect who died at the hospital.