A guy and his mother have been detained in South Carolina after a police dog was fatally shot when officers attempted to arrest a suspect.
James Robert Peterson, 37, and Scarlett Boyd, 61, were detained on Tuesday at Boyd’s home on Gravel Road in Prosperity, South Carolina.
Officers from the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, the State Law Enforcement Division, and the K9 officer, Coba, were searching for Peterson in connection with a burglary that occurred last month.
Boyd informed officers she hadn’t seen her son and he wasn’t on the premises.
But, as officers spoke with Boyd, a deputy noticed Peterson wandering through the residence through a window. Coba, his handler, and a deputy entered the house and faced Peterson in the hallway. According to the sheriff’s office, Peterson pulled out a revolver and shot the K9 before aiming the handgun at the crew. Peterson was shot and wounded before being transferred to the hospital.
State officials then revealed “with great sadness” that Coba had also died in the line of duty.
Peterson was charged with the burglary, but his charges for the K9’s death are uncertain at this time. His mother was charged with impeding a law enforcement officer’s serving process.
An investigation is ongoing.
According to Cnews Coba, a four-year-old Belgian Malinois mix, joined the state investigation agency in 2021. Coba has been a member of both the SWAT Team and the K9 Tracking Team throughout his career.
“Coba participated in numerous trainings and apprehensions that kept communities, SLED’s law enforcement partners, and his SLED SWAT Team safe,” the force said in a statement.
The dog will be “greatly missed,” according to the force, with specifics on a memorial service to be released later. During his tenure on the force, Coba worked alongside Special Agent Richard “Cole” Powell and resided with Powell’s family.
According to the agency, Coba’s death marks the twentieth officer-involved shooting in South Carolina this year.
Last year, South Carolina saw 43 officer-involved shootings.