By Police1 Staff
TOLEDO, Ohio — A Toledo Police Department K-9 was shot and killed by a suspect during a standoff, The Blade reported.
The Aug. 12 incident started when police pursued what they believed was a stolen car. The driver and another man fled the vehicle and attempted to escape.
One man was arrested immediately while the other barricaded himself in a house. Toledo police officers and a SWAT team surrounded the home for hours, 19 Action News reported.
The K-9, Falco, was sent into the residence by his handler where the suspect barricaded the K-9 in, then shot him. When police could safely enter the home, they found the bodies of Falco and the suspect.
“We just lost a police officer. That dog was a police officer, so we’re taking it hard,” Toledo Police Chief George Kral told the publication. “We have heavy hearts right now.”
Police have not determined whether an officer shot and killed the suspect or if the wound was self-inflicted. An investigation is ongoing.