Dog With Arlington K9 Unit Collapses From Heat, Dies
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) – An Arlington police dog named "Mojo" who collapsed after he was overcome by heat while searching for a suspect Tuesday morning has died.
"Today we experienced a significant loss to our APD team. Mojo was an exceptional K9 partner, friend, and served the citizens of Arlington honorably," said Assistant Police Chief Kevin Kolbye. The department appreciates the words of encouragement and prayers. This is the first K9 death during a duty assignment in Arlington.
Mojo, a Belgian Malinois, was born in Holland and has worked with the department since June of 2010. K9 Handler Ramsour, a 23-year veteran, has served on the department's K9 team since 1997 and had a total of three police service dogs during his tenure. His two previous dogs retired honorably and Mojo had been his partner for the past 6 years. Police K9 teams are loyal companions and partners and provide a valuable service to the citizens of Arlington. Mojo was credited with many felony apprehensions and searches for dangerous criminals, according to the department.
Officers were attempting to serve a felony warrant Tuesday morning on a suspect wanted for Aggravated Assault, according to Chris Cook from the Arlington Police Department, when it happened.
They followed the man in a car and radioed patrol officers to attempt a traffic stop. But the suspect refused to pull over and fled in his car and a pursuit started. It ended in the 7100 block of Chambers Creek Court when the man bailed out on foot.
Officers set up a perimeter and chased the suspect but didn't catch him until 4:30 p.m. after a 911 caller reported seeing him in the area.
Arlington police tweeted a picture of Mojo being worked on by doctors on what appears to be a veterinarian's table along with the message, "Please pray for our K9 Mojo who was overcome by heat today while searching for a felony shooting suspect."
Cook said Mojo was taken to ABC Arlington Animal Health Care Center on Mayfield Rd. then transferred to an animal hospital in Mansfield. According to Cook, early indications were that Mojo's condition 'didn't look good.'
(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
