Police K9 released from animal hospital following shooting involving teen suspect
K9 Kai with a bright blue ball on the day of his release from the hospital. (Gwinnett County Police)
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Gwinnett County police said a police K9 injured in an officer-involved shooting was released from the hospital on Tuesday.
Gwinnett County police K9 Kai, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, left North Georgia Veterinary Specialists in Buford on Tuesday afternoon.
Photos captured officers and children applauding Kai as he was released from the hospital. Kai was seen holding a bright blue ball with a black/blue cast wrapped around his leg.
Officials say Kai is set to recover at home with his handler, Cpl. Aaron Carlyle.
K9 Kai (Gwinnett County Police)
The Gwinnett County Police Department said officers went to a neighborhood off Pine Lane at around 10:20 p.m. on May 24 after reports of a domestic incident in which a man threatened a woman with a handgun.
When officers got to the scene, an armed man had already left the home.
K9 officers and the department's Aviation Unit tracked the man down to a wooded area near the home. Officials said when officers approached, the man fired at least one shot, hitting a police dog.
Gwinnett County police K9 Kai, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, will be released from the hospital on Tuesday after receiving treatment for multiple gunshot wounds.
Police identified the K9 as Kai, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois. They said Kai was in stable condition after being shot multiple times. Kai had been working as a dual-purpose K9, investigating narcotics and on patrol, for less than a year.
After the dog was hit, an officer returned fire, hitting the man.
Medics rushed the man to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police have not updated that suspects condition, but the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 17-year-old Levi Bryan did not die.