Georgia K-9 Killed in Shootout, Suspect Fatally Shot by Handler

The incident began around 11 p.m. when the deputy attempted to pull over a Chrysler 300.

According to the Coweta County Sheriff's Office, the driver refused to stop, accelerating and reaching speeds of up to 110 mph as he continued into Fulton County.

To end the pursuit, Deputy Blaize Henderson performed a PIT maneuver, forcing the vehicle to stop. The deputy then deployed K-9 Titan to assist in apprehending the suspect. The driver reportedly opened fire, striking K-9 Titan multiple times, fatally wounding the dog, the Times-Herald reports.

Deputy Henderson and the suspect exchanged fire. The suspect was killed. The deputy was grazed, according to a sheriff’s office statement on Facebook.

Deputy Henderson was treated and released at a local hospital.

The sheriff’s office reports that K-9 Titan had over 100 deployments throughout his career. The dog had “successfully located dozens of suspects and missing persons,” the sheriff’s office said.

“K-9 Titan was reassigned from his previous handler to Deputy Henderson in August. K-9 Titan and Deputy Henderson trained for over 480 hours together. K-9 Titan and Deputy Henderson graduated from Basic Dual Handler Training Course on Nov. 1. 

A Coweta County (Georgia) Sheriff’s K-9 was killed in a shootout late Wednesday night. The dog’s handler returned fire, killing the suspect. The deputy was reportedly “grazed” in the exchange of fire.