K9 shot three times in Tennessee, undergoes emergency surgery
Sjaak, a Belgian Malinois, was hit wounded in a shootout with a gunman who shot an officer in his car
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A police K9 needed emergency surgery Wednesday after being shot three times during an officer-involved shooting Tuesday in La Vergne, Tenn.
Sjaak, a Belgian Malinois, is now stable
The dog was hit when a man opened fire on his handler, Officer Justin Darby.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sjaak, a Blegian Malinois, underwent emergency surgery Wednesday after being shot three times.
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Darby was not injured in the shooting.
“We’re all praying for Sjaak and officer Darby,” interim Chief Chip Davis said after the shooting. “A K9 is more than just a dog to our handlers, they’re a partner.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Initial reports from the scene indicate that a motorist pulled alongside a police officer's vehicle after pulling out of the police department parking lot and shots were fired into officer's car, an official with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told reporters.
Police then pursued the motorist into the parking lot of an apartment complex where a shootout ensued.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The suspect was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound, and later died.
It wasn't until Darby got back to his car after the shootout that he realized Sjaak was injured.