Dallas police officer, K9 shot during manhunt back home recovering
DALLAS - A Dallas Police Department officer and his K9 partner are back home recovering after both were shot during a manhunt early Friday morning.
That development comes as police are preparing to release body camera footage of the shooting.
Police said the officer was shot in the leg and shoulder during a shootout with a suspect who was wanted for shooting two others.
His K9 was shot once.
Dallas Police Association President Mike Mata told FOX 4 that the officer, whose name has not been released yet, had surgery over the weekend and was then released.
"He came out of it great. Hopefully, in a few months, he will be back on the street serving the citizens," Mata said.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia is expected to provide an update on the investigation Monday morning, including the release of body camera footage.
Mata last saw the injured officer at his bedside Friday when he was alert and talking.
Mata has also been in touch with the officer’s wife as he transitioned out of the hospital.
"They are just over the moon excited that they have him home and safe," Mata said. "Helping to get him better and get him well."
Dallas police officer, K9 shot in Pleasant Grove; suspect killed
DPD says the wounded officer was shot in the leg and shoulder around 2:30 a.m. while confronting a suspect in another shooting.
This shooting happened Thursday after Dallas police responded to a family violence call on Cypress Avenue in Pleasant Grove just before 10 p.m.
Two people were found shot inside a home. Both victims survived.
Air 1 and the K9 unit were called in for an overnight manhunt.
"The suspect shot two people in that home. Those victims were taken to a local hospital, and they are expected to survive. The suspect then ran to a creek bed area," said Kristin Lowman, with the Dallas Police Department.
At about around 2:30 a.m., Dallas police said the veteran officer and his K9 were shot at by the suspect in a nearby wooded area.
The officer was able to discharge his weapon, killing the suspect. The suspect’s name has not yet been released.
It’s also still unclear how the suspect knew the two people he shot or how any of the three are related.
Mata said heavy rains last week added to difficult conditions during the search, including knee-high mud.
"Those are environments that are very hard, if not impossible to train for," Mata said. "I was not surprised, nor was anyone else of the actions and how well he completed it."
The officer has served in multiple different units within DPD.
Mata also said he wasn’t surprised when this officer was selected to go into the K9 unit, a very difficult class to pass.
"Not only have to pass it, you have to also pass with your K9. You are a team together. You can’t pass separately," he explained.
Police plan to release the body camera footage Monday morning.