Officer wounded and K9 killed by friendly fire.

[Exbiker]

http://cbs3.com/local/plymouth.towns....2.846538.html

Plymouth Twp. Police Dog Killed In Line Of Duty
PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS 3) ― A Plymouth Township K9 was accidentally shot and killed by another officer while investigating a robbery in Lower Gwynned Wednesday afternoon.

Police say Lower Gwynned Police requested assistance of Plymouth Township Police and other surrounding municipalities to aid in the search for robbery suspects who were wanted for holding up the Abington Bank on Bethlehem Pike.

Sources say during the search, Andy, the Plymouth Township K9, bit a member of the Montgomery Township Police Department who had his gun drawn on a suspect. The K9, trained to go after the suspect with the gun, was accidentally shot during the incident.

Andy's handler was also struck by the same bullet. The handler's bullet proof vest stopped the bullet from penetrating and the officer escaped serious injuries. The Montgomery Township Police Officer's injuries were non-life threatening.

Plymouth Township police say their K9 officer was doing his job and the circumstances surrounding the shooting are under investigation.

The three bank robbery suspects were arrested.

[Robert Kayland]

The K9, trained to go after the suspect with the gun...

As the saying goes, the devil is in the details.

"No, Thor, NO!!! Not the guy in the uniform!"

[Exbiker]

As the saying goes, the devil is in the details.

"No, Thor, NO!!! Not the guy in the uniform!"

Honestly I`m not really buying that whole story. Did he shoot the dog? Was it an AD? Pretty much most PD`s train patrol dogs to apprehend and hold and most officers know it. If the dog grabs you don`t resist and he goes into a hold/watch mode.
One lucky cop the vest worked.

[Michele]

Sounds like sloppy police work.
The department lost a good officer. What a shame.
Thank goodness the one officer was wearing a vest. There could have very well been two dead officers.

Sloppy.

[adymond]

Speculation here:

Officer 1 had firearm drawn on suspect. K9 officer and K9 come up from the other side and the dog sees "Gun pointed at handler" and instinct takes over. Officer 1 being unfamiliar with K9 officers freaks and shoots charging dog.

[normanvin]

I sent a copy of the article to my dog trainer. He also trains police dogs. I would be interested on his take on this.

[Michele]

Don't the dogs wear an identifying vest when going to into a SHTF situation?

[adymond]

Don't the dogs wear an identifying vest when going to into a SHTF situation?

They at least have a badge on their collar that hangs on their chests. The thing is if this dog is charging and you think he is going to eat you, you might loose sight of the badge and just react. Like I said if the gun was aimed in the general direction of the handler the dog may have just gone into action. Hell the officer who shot the dog may have been a plain clothes cop. That would make things even easier to see how this happened.

[RONNIE77]

The department surely lost a great officer that day.
Very sad.

[Exbiker]

There are time when kicking down a door a charged up K9 may get a piece of an officer as he`s released heading in the door. Training has improved over the years though. I have a bad feeling about this one.