A memorial service is scheduled Wednesday for a Long Beach police dog who was fatally shot while working to apprehend a knife-wielding suspect.
Credo, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, was killed June 28 as police were trying to arrest a suspect wanted in connection with a December 2014 gang- related shooting. Credo had been with the department for about two years.
The memorial service will be at LBPOA Park. Police noted that parking is limited at the site, and encouraged people planning to attend to carpool or take alternate transportation. They also discouraged people from bringing pets to the service, since numerous police dogs will be in attendance.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Credo's memory to the Long Beach K9 Officers Association by visiting its website at www.lbk9oa.org or mailing to P.O. Box 17366, Long Beach, 90807.
Credo was killed while police worked to arrest Barry Prak, 27, of Long Beach, who had been spotted by members of a U.S. Marshals Service task force that includes Long Beach police. After a standoff with Prak at an apartment, he came out of the residence and "began to aggressively charge the officers," according to police.
Credo tried to stop the man, who brandished a knife, as he advanced toward officers. One officer fired at the suspect, striking him and Credo.
Following the shooting, an officer was seen carrying Credo's limp body from the scene and placing the canine on a sidewalk. Officer Mike Parcells drove Credo to a nearby animal hospital, where he died.
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Prak later died at a hospital.
Parcells has been a K-9 handler for 16 years. Another of his police dog partners, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois named Ranger, was fatally shot Oct. 2, 2005, while police tried to flush an armed parolee from a hiding spot under a porch.
"These K-9s are not just dogs. These are police officers. This dog was injured in the performance of his duty and that's going to weigh heavily on the Long Beach police family," LBPD Deputy Chief Richard Conant said.
