K-9 Bane dies in line of duty; sheriff believes dog was strangled by suspect

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH/Gray News) - A police dog has died in the line of duty in Kansas this week.

According to the Wichita Police Department, a K-9 named Bane was killed on Thursday when tracking a suspect who went into a storm drain.

Wichita Police Department Lt. Aaron Moses said officers along with K-9 teams responded to a robbery and domestic violence call Thursday afternoon.

Officers located a 24-year-old suspect at the scene, but he ran into a creek and then into the storm drain, police said.

According to Moses, the man ended up barricading himself in the drain and refused to come out.

K-9 Bane was deployed and an altercation between the suspect and the canine occurred.

Sheriff Jeff Easter said it’s believed the suspect strangled Bane.

Multiple officers, along with two negotiators from the WPD crisis intervention team responded and eventually took the suspect into custody.

Moses said the 24-year-old suspect was transported to the hospital for minor injuries and is expected to be booked in jail once released from the hospital.

The sheriff said a necropsy will be performed on K-9 Bane to determine his cause of death.

Authorities did not immediately identify the suspect involved but said multiple charges are pending as their investigation remains ongoing.

Copyright 2023 KWCH Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.