A police dog has died after being shot by a fleeing suspect in Burbank who was later killed by pursuing officers on Saturday evening, police said.
The shooting occurred after the suspect failed to yield while Burbank police were conducting a traffic stop at 6:40 p.m. in the 2400 block of Buena Vista Street near the northbound 5 Freeway onramp, according to a statement from Lt. Derek Green of the Burbank Police Department.
During the stop, a passenger fled the vehicle, ran up the freeway onramp and jumped over an embankment wall into a nearby residential neighborhood, Green said.
Additional police resources responded and a coordinated search was initiated using a police dog and helicopter.
The canine, named Spike, located the suspect, who fired multiple rounds from a handgun, striking the dog and then fleeing on foot.
Officers recovered the wounded K-9, Green said, while a systematic search for the suspect was initiated.
Spike was transported to a local emergency veterinarian but was pronounced dead.
Officers saw the suspect hiding amid thick, uneven, and overgrown terrain adjacent to the freeway, near the Buena Vista onramp.
He was still armed within proximity of a residential neighborhood, Green said.
The incident transitioned to a joint operation between the Burbank and Glendale police departments and included additional canine units, crisis negotiators and the Burbank Police Special Weapons and Tactics Team.
Multiple efforts were made to communicate and negotiate with the suspect, encouraging him to surrender peacefully.
Officers established a containment and deployed less lethal systems as part of the effort, the lieutenant said.
During these attempts, the suspect began shooting at police officers, striking police vehicles parked near the scene, Green said.
Officers returned fire, hitting the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The handgun was recovered nearby.
The suspect’s identity was unknown, and the shooting remains under investigation.
The death of the dog drew many condolences on social media.
“I sadly watched this happen live on TikTok,” wrote one woman on Facebook. “I watched his partner running with Spike to the car to rush him to the hospital.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Burbank Police Department Investigations Division at 818-238-3210.
