For the second time this month, a police dog was murdered while attempting to assist in the apprehension of a suspect in South Carolina.
Wick, a Richland County Sheriff’s Department canine, was struck and killed by a car on Interstate 77 early Thursday when his leash broke while after a suspect who raced across the highway, according to Sheriff Leon Lott.
Deputies had been pursuing the suspect after locating him driving a stolen vehicle. Lott said he ran when officers used stop sticks to flatten his tires.
Wick’s leash snapped as he jumped over a barrier, which Lott said Thursday afternoon he had never seen happen to a police dog.
The sheriff said that investigators are still seeking for the suspect.
Wick was a three-year-old Belgian Malinois who had been with the sheriff’s department for more than a year.
Wick’s body was draped in an American flag, and hundreds of cops, many with police dogs at their sides, saluted as he was led from an emergency vet to a funeral home in a parade Thursday morning.
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At least six states, including South Carolina, introduced bills this year that would increase the penalties for harming or killing police dogs, despite critics pointing to a long history of harassment involving police dogs in marginalized communities and serious dog-bite injuries during arrests.
Wick’s death happened just nine days after authorities say a State Law Enforcement Division police dog, Coba, was shot and died while detectives attempted to arrest a burglary suspect at a Newberry County residence.
According to authorities, officers wounded the suspect in the shooting.
On Wednesday, state agents held a memorial service for Coba.
Another dog, Rico, was shot and killed on Johns Island in September by a hidden suspect who was wanted for randomly shooting at civilians and responding police officers the day before, according to authorities.
Police canines become members of their handlers’ and law enforcement families. Their willingness to risk their life so that human cops can avoid danger is commendable, said State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel, whose voice broke numerous times while speaking about Coba on Wednesday.
“The K-9s are brave. And we in law enforcement introduce them and utilize them in really risky situations. “We send them into dark rooms and homes where we know people are hiding,” Keel explained.
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Bagpipes played as the memorial service began. Gov. Henry McMaster attended Rico’s funeral in October and was present to pay his condolences.
As soft music played, photos of Coba were shown on a screen, including the dog in a shopping cart, selfies with his handler agent Cole Powell, training shots as he attacked a heavily padded suspect, and a final shot of Powell on a knee, head bowed and arm gently resting on Coba’s body, draped in an American flag.
Powell expressed gratitude for Coba’s sacrifice and stated that his memories of the dog will remain forever.
Lt. Keith Thrower, who supervises the state agency’s dog tracking squad, said Wednesday that police dogs become an integral component of a law enforcement team as per WSAV.
“When he entered that house, Coba put himself between us and evil,” Thrower explained. “Evil didn’t win that day because Coba was there to protect his teammates.”