Portland Shootout: 3 Suspects Arrested In Connection With Dead Police Dog, Injured Officer [PHOTO]
Three suspects are in custody following a shootout Wednesday morning that left a police dog dead and an officer wounded in Portland, Ore.
Portland Police Bureau officers found three suspects leaving a police uniform store they had broken into and getting into an SUV. The vehicle crashed into a utility pole and an officer ordered his K-9 to follow one of the suspects, who fled on foot, the Oregonian reported.
Gunfire was then exchanged between the suspect and officers, and the suspect fled again before eventually being apprehended by authorities around 5:40 a.m. Wednesday, according to Portland Fox affiliate KPTV. The suspect reportedly had a rifle.
The police dog, a German shepherd, was killed. The injured officer, whose name wasn't released, expressed concern about the dog, Portland Police Chief Mike Reese told the Oregonian. Reese said the officer’s injuries weren't life-threatening. The names of the suspects also weren’t released.
"We've had two shootings where an officer has been shot in the last month. It points out to all of us that police work can be incredibly dangerous," Reese told KPTV. "You never know when an incident like this can turn life-threatening."
Reese said the dog was wearing a harness but not a vest. He said the bureau is reviewing whether a police dog had ever been killed on duty before.
"The dog was doing its job protecting the community, and it's tragic that we lost the dog," Reese said.
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