A 16-year-old robbery suspect has been arrested after allegedly beating a police dog to death during a foot chase in Texas.
On Monday around 2:39 a.m. local time, officers from the Mesquite Police Department were dispatched to assist the Balch Springs Police Department in pursuing multiple robbery suspects in a car, according to a news release from Mesquite police.
During a chase, police were able to disable the suspects’ vehicle at Bruton Road and Interstate 635 with the use of spike strips.
The suspects then fled on foot into a wooded area by the highway, prompting officers to call in Mesquite police’s K-9 unit, Kozmo, to help with tracking, according to the release.
Though the suspects were eventually apprehended, Kozmo did not return and was found dead around 4:13 a.m. following an extensive search of the area, according to authorities.
A necropsy later determined that Kozmo had suffered “trauma consistent with an assault,” providing probable cause to charge one of the robbery suspects — a 16-year-old juvenile male — with interference with a police service animal (causing injury or death), police said.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that the other robbery suspects were an adult and another juvenile.
The identities of the suspects have not been released by authorities.
“It should be noted that our K9s are members of the MPD family, Kozmo was an amazing and loyal dog who gave his life in the performance of his duties,” the Mesquite Police Department said in a statement on Monday. “We ask everyone to keep all of our officers in their thoughts and prayers as we deal with this loss.”
According to local news outlet KXXV, Kozmo had been with the department since 2017.
What kind of person beats a dog to death. Even worse, the suspect is just 16. What is he going to become?
The people who murdered this dog will become murderers of people!!!!
The hooligans who beat that beautiful dog to death must go to prison, the next time they will beat a child to death, people such as these have evil in their entire makeup, actually I don’t think there is any redemption for them
Black no doubt
Add an automatic 10 year sentence (not concurrent)for killing the “officer” to the charges, Plus training fees for another “officer”.
Bring back PUBLIC HANGING !!! Stop this VIOLENCE happening day in & day out !! Put the LORD GOD back in schools & Church !! Dear Lord !!
This breaks my heart. The little bastard and yes I use the term that is deserved. He should be charged as an adult just as if he killed his handler. These dogs are members of the community just like pets or humans. Anyone who hurts my dog will be very, very sorry. I can guarantee his own “mother” wouldn’t know him.
if he kills a dog what next how did the dog get killed normally would injure a person scum of the 1st degree
Death penalty…or give we dog lovers 15 minutes..they would never hurt anything again…
Let me guess, he was planning on becoming a cop. We need to quit making excuses for these criminals and hold them accountable for their actions! This story is upsetting! This young man needs to be tried as an adult and face the death penalty for killing this dog. The police need to stand up and sue these parents for negligence and failure in rasing this brat.
This breaks my heart and absolutely disgusts me! It’s bad enough this beautiful dog is made to live a dangerous life – then some asshole actually takes his. That S.O.B. needs to be executed!
Murdering a police officer (K-9) should carry the same punishment as murdering any other person. Since this occurred because of a robbery, ALL of the crooks should be charged under the Felony Murder rule. Minimum sentence should be life without chance of parole.