By Police1 Staff
PERU, Ill. — A police K-9 was killed in a crash Saturday when a vehicle struck a cruiser at an intersection on the way to a burglary scene.
K-9 Kali, a female Belgian Malinois, was ejected from the vehicle and succumbed to her injuries, according to The News Tribune.
K-9 officer Art Smith, an 11-year veteran of Peru police, was treated for minor injuries and released.
Kali was fully trained for narcotics detection, searching and tracking. She is the first Peru police dog killed in the line of duty, according to the report.
The robbery is still under investigation. The suspects will be charged with armed robbery and causing the death of a police service animal — a class 3 felony in Illinois.
The driver of the vehicle in the crash will not be charged.