A police K-9 was killed in the line of duty early Monday morning after a pursuit that took officers from Balch Springs to Mesquite and ended with three people arrested, police say.
Officers from Mesquite were called to assist in the pursuit, which orignated in Balch Springs, at about 2:39 a.m., Mesquite police said.
Police said officers used a spike strip to stop the vehicle in Mesquite, where one person was arrested inside the vehicle, but two others ran off into a nearby wooded area.
Mesquite police K-9 Kozmo tracked the suspects down, but officers could not locate him after the arrests. Kozmo was found at about 4:13 a.m. and pronounced dead, police said.
"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. "We ask everyone to keep all of our officers in their thoughts and prayers as we deal with this loss."
Police said a necropsy test determined Kosmo's death was trauma consistent with an assault. Therefore the 16-year-old male involved in the chase is now facing second-degree felony charges.
Mesquite police said a memorial service would be planned for Kozmo.
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According to police, the incident began as an armed robbery in Balch Springs at approximately 2:15 a.m.
The vehicle pursuit took police from Balch Springs to Dallas to Mesquite.
One of the suspects fled the car in the middle of the chase, according to police. It is not clear what happened to that suspect.
The chase involved multiple agencies, including police from Balch Springs, Mesquite, and Dallas as well as DISD police and the Department of Public Safety's helicopter.
