K9 Maya – West Jordin, Utah

Died – 2/17/22 

K-9 and suspect dead after multiple pursuits 

A man was shot and killed by police and a police dog also died during an armed confrontation Thursday night. The incident happened just after 7 p.m. at 1750 W. 11400 South in South Jordan when police shot a man with a handgun who they had been pursuing since earlier in the day, West Jordan police spokesman Sam Winkler said. At around 11 a.m., a report was taken of an aggravated assault of a woman who was held against her will by a male with a handgun, police said. They located the suspect, Zachary Tyler Alvarengaat at Jordan Landing, Winkler said, where the woman had broken free and was being chased by a man who was a former coworker. A pursuit began, but was “discontinued because of safety reasons,” Winkler said. Not long after, a second pursuit was also ended. The suspect later threatened relatives of the woman with a handgun, Winkler said. Police once again found the man and contacted him over the phone to try to negotiate a surrender, he said. There was then a third pursuit just after 7 p.m. where authorities set out spikes and stopped the man’s vehicle, police said. The suspect then fled on foot while armed with a handgun and was shot by officers, Winkler said. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. K-9 Maya was also killed. “Unfortunately, Maya, a 6½-year-old Belgian Malinois from the West Jordan Police Department, was killed during the incident. Our hearts go out to her handler and the entire West Jordan Police Department family and all those who knew Maya,” police said in a press release. A police honor guard stood watch after Maya’s death. Officers from West Jordan, South Jordan and Unified police were involved in the shooting, which will now be investigated by West Valley Police Department.

 

Submitted By Jim Cortina

James A. Cortina has been involved with police dogs since 1972 and currently on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Jim has been appointed as Treasurer since its inception in 1991. Jim is one of the charter members of the C.P.W.D.A. organization. Since 1975 he has been a certified professional dog trainer and received his Master Trainer Certification in 1985. During his career he has provided armed K-9 strike crowd control for security agencies in Connecticut and out of state security companies. In conjunction with other members of the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Board of Directors, he helped to draft Connecticut Statute 53-247(e) "Intentional Injury or Killing of Police K-9" which was passed by the Senate in 1993 and also assisted in implementing the prestigious Daniel Wasson Memorial K-9 Award in 1992. In 1993 he helped coordinate the North American Police Work Dog Association Nationals in New London, Connecticut. He was appointed Training Director for the New London County Work Dog Association from 1985-1987. He performed decoy work for Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. in police K-9 demonstrations, trained several local police department canines, and coordinated training workshops for out-of-state police departments. He participated in the United States Police K-9 Association Trials in Croton on Hudson, New York in 1985 as a decoy. He is an avid photographer and received photography awards in 1989, 1990, and 1991 and currently takes photographs for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc.