Johns Island, South Carolina – Members of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division are mourning the loss of a valued member of the force, who died in a murder suspect manhunt on Thursday afternoon. The suspect, Ernest Robert Burbage III, fatally shot K9 Rico after the dog was sent into a home where Burbage was hiding. A robot had previously swept the house, but was unable to access all areas.
Rico was shot almost immediately after entering the residence. Burbage fled the house through a window and was fatally shot by law enforcement after the man brandished a weapon at officers.
Thursday’s deadly shoot out culminated a search that began on Wednesday when Burbage randomly opened fire on a car, and later shot at members of a SWAT team, shooting one officer in the head.
The three-year-old K9 had only been with the department for a year. Those who knew him say that he is a hero who “saved countless lives.”
Rest easy Rico.
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This is so sad. these dogs are amazing and I am sure his handler is devastated. the only ray of sunshine here is that the slime bag who killed him was himself killed. ridding the world of one more worthless piece of crap and making it safer for the officers and community at large. rest in peace RICO.
God this story is so awful but happens fairly frequently across America. Cops sending in dogs to find suspects because it’s too dangerous for them to go in. I find this act totally unfair. The dogs are considered officers and get their own badge and kevlar vest, yet they are required to go in and get the bad guys while human officers stand outside and wait. If it’s too dangerous to send a human, it’s too dangerous to send in a dog. The dog’s life matters too. The cops should have tried deploying a smoke bomb and or tear gas into the house to drive the guy out. The cops also have also used vehicles to ram open a section of wall in order to find the bad guy and shoot him if necessary. Dogs are not disposal police property that can just be replaced. They are living breathing creatures just like you and me. They feel fear, pain. If the dog knew he was in danger of being shot and understood truly what that meant, I doubt he would go in. He’s not even be paid to put his life on the line like another officers for god sakes.
totally agree! no different than when an officer gets killed it was the death penalty yet a civilian can be killed the same way and its life in prison. look i don’t take what cops do lightly. i had family in law enforcement and the military as well and understand they are in a high risk job but that doesn’t make anyone else’s life, human or animal any less valuable.
Hope he goes to hell for what he did to that poor dog