A police K9 and a possible murder suspect are dead after a chase in Georgia ended with a shootout in the woods on Friday.
The deadly confrontation began just before noon along River Road near Interstate 285 when Clayton County police spotted a car associated with a murder investigation, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
Georgia State Patrol and the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office were called to assist with an attempted stop.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the driver initially pulled over for the stop, but sped off as troopers approached the car on foot.
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State troopers reportedly used a PIT maneuver to stop the driver near Flat Shoals Road and the car eventually ended up in the woods.
Authorities tried to make contact with the driver to remove him from the woods peacefully, but he was not cooperating with investigators.
Witness Delbert Sanders told Fox 5 that an officer was trying to talk to the man when Georgia State Patrol K9 Figo was sent into the woods to “coax the man out.”
“A couple minutes after they sent the dog into the woods you started to hear gunfire,” Sanders said.
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Not long after Figo entered the woods, the suspect started shooting at the dog, striking him multiple times.
Troopers and deputies then opened fire on the suspect. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
K9 Figo was rushed to Blue Pearl Animal Hospital in Sandy Springs by helicopter where he later died.
Police have not yet released the suspect’s name.
The GBI is investigating the shooting.
