Riverside County Sheriff’s K9 Rudy is pictured in this undated photo.
A Riverside County Sheriff’s K9 was killed during a shootout Friday between deputies and a wanted felon.
Deputies were searching for the wanted person and had been told by a resident that there were two strangers on their property, a man and a woman. The incident took place in the area of Perris known as Mead Valley.
Deputies immediately searched the area and a K9 unit was deployed to help locate the individuals. The dog, Rudy, alerted police of where one of the individuals was hiding.
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
The man was armed and immediately fired shots after being spotted. He was aiming at the deputies, but hit K9 Rudy instead.
The man did not surrender which led to the shoot off with authorities. He died at the scene and the woman partner was later detained.
K9 Rudy was transported to the nearest veterinary hospital where he was later pronounced dead because of his injuries.
No deputies were injured during the incident. According to department policy, they have been placed on paid administrative leave during the duration of the investigation.
The identities of the man and woman remain unknown.
Anyone who has information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Riverside County District Attorney Investigator Eric Crosson or Riverside County Sheriff’s Investigator Jarred Bishop at 951-955-2777.
