Officer And Canine Recovering After Ellis County Shooting

<p>A K-9 officer was shot and badly injured during this weekend&rsquo;s standoff in Ellis County.&nbsp;Ellis County deputy Dave Thomas was also shot in the leg.</p>

Monday, September 25th 2017, 7:10 pm



News 9 has confirmed a K-9 officer was shot and badly injured during this weekend’s standoff in Ellis County. Ellis County deputy Dave Thomas was also shot in the leg.

The three-year-old dog's name is Valor and is part of the OHP tactical team. He was shot in the face and is currently in intensive care at an Oklahoma City vet.

The situation at the Ellis County home began with a check the welfare call on Saturday. But when Deputy Thomas knocked a bullet came through the door and hit him in the leg. The suspect inside also fired shots at Sheriff Shane Booth and another deputy.

“Two shots rang out and I saw one of them come between us actually,” said Sheriff Booth on Sunday.

The OHP tactical team was called in and deployed the K-9 named Valor into the house.

“It’s just a measure the tac team members use, less lethal force, to get the guy to go ahead and surrender,” explained Capt. Paul Timmons with OHP. “To come out without having to escalate any further.”

But that's when Capt. Timmons say the OHP says Valor was also shot.

“Once he was deployed they saw a muzzle flash and heard the dog yelp and they knew he’d been injured. The handler recalled him.’

The dog was treated on the scene by medical staff then taken to the vet.  As of Monday afternoon he was stable and expected to be okay.  As is Deputy Thomas who was shot in the leg he was treated at the hospital and released.

“He’s doing really good, I went and visited with him and his family,” said Sheriff Booth. “And he’s doing a lot better today.”

The nine-hour standoff finally ended when the home caught on fire. The suspect did not make it out, his name has not been released. 

logo

Get The Daily Update!

Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox!

More Like This

September 25th, 2017

March 22nd, 2024

March 14th, 2024

February 9th, 2024

Top Headlines

March 29th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024