TEARS! Police dog dies a hero protecting his handler

A police dog died a hero while saving the life of his handler and helping in the arrest of a knife-wielding suspect.

It was a sad day at the Police K9 unit in Humansdorp when one of their four-legged colleagues, Deacon, sadly passed away an hour after saving his handler’s life and assisting in the arrest of a dangerous suspect.

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Deacon, a Rottweiler, and his handler Seargent Pat Le Grange, responded to a call of housebreaking on Monday, 20 March 2023, in the St. Francis Bay area.

After being informed that the suspect/s had entered the dense bushes in the area, Le Grange and Deacon pursued them.

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Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said at some point, the handler heard a scream and rushed to get to his dog.

“As Seargent Le Grange stood up, the suspect lunged at him with a knife. Deacon, who had already been stabbed, still got up to protect his handler and pounced on the suspect, enabling him to arrest him. After Sgt Le Grange had secured his arrest, he realised that his dog was bleeding profusely. He rushed Deacon to a nearby vet for treatment,” Naidu confirmed.

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Deacon was treated and stabilised, but an hour later, he went into cardiac arrest due to his injury and sadly died.

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Deacon was only 21 months old and joined the police’s K9 crime-fighting team in July 2022.

The suspect faces charges of housebreaking, attacking a police officer, and malicious damage to property following Deacon’s death.

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The 19-year-old suspect appeared in the Humansdorp magistrate court on Wednesday, 22 March 2023.