The K-9, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois named Kjeld and known affectionately as "Kid," was credited with saving the lives of fellow deputies -- and the suspect.
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At a news conference Monday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the dog has been serving with the agency's K-9 Service Detail since January 2023.
About 6:20 p.m. on April 17, members of the sheriff's Special Enforcement Bureau responded to the 100 block of Spruce Street to assist Compton deputies with a search for a person suspected of assault with a deadly weapon and armed with a handgun, the agency said.
Kjeld "detected the suspect underneath a tarp," Luna told reporters. "As he did that, unfortunately, the suspect, who was armed, shot once -- striking Kid's protective vest and the right shoulder."
The dog was taken to a veterinarian hospital and treated for his injury, and was later released, the Sheriff's Department said.
The suspect was taken into custody without deputies returning fire, authorities said.
Sheriff's K-9 shot, injured in Compton; bulletproof vest 'may have saved his life'
"It just shows the importance of having these dogs," Kjeld's handler said.
If the K-9 had not been present at the scene, Luna said, the outcome might have turned tragic.
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"If you can picture, for a second, them searching for an armed suspect who committed this violent crime upon one of our community members," the sheriff said, "and if the dog was not available to us, and one of them has to either lift this tarp that the suspect is concealing himself in, and he's armed and dangerous -- in my opinion we avoided a deputy-involved shooting that night, because of our K-9 dog."
Kjeld's handler said the dog "is actually doing really well," adding that he is expected to return to full duty after his stitches are removed.