Cary police dog hit by pickup truck while officers pursue armed robbery suspect
Canine Officer Dakota, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois working for the Cary Police Department, was injured and hospitalized Friday after being struck by a fleeing robbery suspect’s truck.
A man asked to test-drive a Ford Truck at the Rick Hendricks dealership on U.S. 64 Friday and pulled out a gun during the drive, demanding that the sales employee get out, police said in a news release Saturday.
Officers tracked the truck to Raleigh and, along with RPD officers, chased it back to Bliss Convenience Store in Cary.
Multiple officers approached the truck, including Animal Control officer Michael Herrell and Dakota. The suspect ignored police demands and sped toward the officers, forcing Herrell to dive out of the way. He was unable to pull Dakota out of the way in time, police said.
The truck was later recovered in Raleigh but the suspect remains at large. Anyone with information is asked to call the Cary Police Department at (919) 469-4012.
Dakota remains in stable condition at an emergency veterinarian.
“We are praying for her recovery,” wrote Sgt. Kenric Alexander in a news release.
This story was originally published July 22, 2023 at 1:27 PM with the headline "Cary police dog hit by pickup truck while officers pursue armed robbery suspect."