FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A K-9 officer is on the mend after undergoing surgery after being shot in the shoulder by an armed burglary suspect in Fort Lauderdale, authorities said.
According to Fort Lauderdale Police, 30-year-old Christian Bouie was suspected in a home burglary off Northwest 15th Terrace and 16th Court, Saturday night.
While he refused to appear in court on Monday, Bouie’s mother apologized to Broward County Circuit Court Judge Corey B. Friedman on behalf of her son.
“On the behalf of the family, I do apologize for the incident,” she said as she fought back tears.
Dozens of police officers and the department’s SWAT team searched for Bouie by ground and by air.
Officers sent Appie, their Belgian Malinois K-9, after the suspect, and that’s when, they said, Bouie opened fire, striking the K-9 in the shoulder.
Area resident Portia Dinkins told 7News she heard the gunfire.
“I heard a pop, and out of the corner of my eye, like right here, I saw a muzzle flash, and then I heard ‘pop, pop, pop, pop,'” she said. “I went in the room, got my mom, made sure she was secure. I didn’t want her to think it was like fireworks or anything, and we stayed down until the flashing and the fire, I mean the gunshots, stopped.”
Appie, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, has been with the department for three years.
“The dogs are really here to actually protect the community, just like police are,” said area resident Shannon Grant.
“It’s unfortunate anytime, you know, an animal is hurt,” said Dinkins.
Appie was rushed to an emergency vet. Fortunately, the K-9 underwent surgery on Monday and is expected to recover.
Grant said the suspect was running along her backyard fence.
I asked them, ‘Was everything OK,’ and stuff like that. That’s when the officer did explain to me that someone did come through our backyard and possibly dropped something,” she said. “When I was walking out there, I thought it was a cat or something like that in the bushes.”
Investigators found a gun near the home. They ultimately arrested Bouie with help from a second K-9.
The suspect was taken to Broward Health Medical Center to treat bites from the other K-9.
“Getting hurt in the line of duty, that’s not good, you know what I mean? But I found out that he’ll be all right, so that’s a good thing,” said area resident Delroy Allen.
Bouie faces several charges, including using with a deadly weapon on a K-9, and fleeing and eluding law enforcement officers. He is being held on a $45,500 bond.
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