By Michelle Hunter
The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate
JEFFERSON COUNTY, La. — A K-9 officer with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office died Wednesday morning after helping to apprehend a suspect during a SWAT roll in Harvey, according to authorities.
Macho, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, was rushed to a MedVet emergency care in Metairie but could not be saved, said Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto.
Macho had been with the Sheriff’s Office for about six years and worked with the department’s SWAT team. He was well-known among local law enforcement and WAS often taken to schools, according to Lopinto.
“It’s heartbreaking for not only the handler and the family that had him but also our team members,” Lopinto said.
The SWAT team and Macho were assisting the U.S. Marshals Service to serve an arrest warrant in the 2000 block of Estalote Avenue in Harvey, Veal said. Authorities were looking for a suspect wanted on outstanding warrants from St. Charles and St. Tammany parishes, according to Lopinto.
The man came to a back door of the residence but then refused to exit, leading to an hours-long standoff. The Sheriff’s Office sent drones and robots into the house to search the structure before sending in a team that included Macho about 10:50 a.m., according to Lopinto.
Authorities found the suspect hiding inside a box spring in a bedroom. Macho made the apprehension, Lopinto said, biting the suspect to hold him in place while team members tried to get to the man.
“The bite was called off and shortly thereafter the dog ended up going limp,” Lopinto said.
Team members began CPR on Macho and continued rescue efforts as they rushed him to the emergency vet where he died.
Investigators believe the dog had a medical emergency, possibly a heart attack. But Macho will be taken to LSU’s veterinary school for necropsy to make sure he didn’t ingest anything that led to its death, according to authorities.
Macho had more than 200 deployments and made more than 100 apprehensions, Lopinto said. He was a well-behaved dog who worked many of the other SWAT teams operating in the New Orleans area.
“If you’re in the canine world, you know Macho. You know his handler is,” he said.
His death occurred in the line of duty, Lopinto said, and the department will have a service.
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