Riverside County sheriff's deputies discuss death of K9 Sultan

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- Heartbroken deputies and police officers held a news conference to discuss the death of police dog, who was shot in the line of duty in unincorporated Hemet.

The entire K9 unit of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department was at the event to show solidarity with Deputy Mark Wallace, who lost his partner of two years.

Sultan was trying to help capture 36-year-old Todd Hodge, who was barricaded inside a home, but Hodge opened fire, killing the German Shepherd.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department says Sultan had only been on duty for a little over a year.

"From a personal standpoint, I can tell you that when I heard this, it impacted me as if I had lost a peer. There is very little differentiation ... four legs or two legs, they're all members of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department," said Chief Deputy Geoff Raya.

Sheriff's deputies say Hodge was a wanted felon. He did not show up for a court appearance on a felony firearms charge. They caught up with him two days later, and he barricaded himself into the crawlspace of a house.

Sultan had just finished giving a presentation to students at a local school before he was sent to deal with the barricaded felon. When Sultan went in to get him out, Hodge shot Sultan.

Hours later, Hodge came out of the house with a gun, and he was killed in a deputy-involved shooting.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is planning a memorial for Sultan sometime in the next couple of weeks.