A police dog and a wanted felon were both killed during an deputy-involved shooting near Perris on Friday afternoon.
According to a release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were in the unincorporated area of Perris known as Mead Valley searching for a wanted felon when they received a call from a resident about an unknown male and female on their property in the 22200 block of River Road around 4:47 p.m.
Upon arriving, deputies confirmed that the male was the wanted felon. A Sheriff’s K9 handler and his K9 partner Rudy were called in to assist with the search.
During the search, Rudy alerted to where the suspect was hiding, and upon being found, the suspect fired at deputies, striking K9 Rudy. The suspects refused to surrender and fled, and the Sheriff’s Aviation Unit observed them running towards an occupied residence.
The male suspect was still armed with a handgun and pointed it at deputies as they approached the suspects and a deputy-involved shooting occurred, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene. His name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. K9 Rudy was transported to a local veterinary hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. No other deputies were injured and there are no outstanding suspects. The female suspect was detained pending further investigation.
The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office is conducting the investigation into the shooting. Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to contact Riverside County District Attorney Investigator Eric Crosson or Riverside County Sheriff’s Investigator Jarred Bishop at 951-955-2777.
