K9 Sir – San Diego, California

Died – 8/2/23

A confrontation in a parking lot at Mesa College early Wednesday led to a police K-9 being killed and an armed man being shot by San Diego police, officials said. Few details were immediately available about the incident, including the condition of the man who was shot. Police said the incident began shortly before 1:30 a.m. when someone reported “some sort of shooting-type incident,” said San Diego police spokesperson Adam Sharki. Sharki said officers confronted the suspect on the community college campus in the Clairemont neighborhood. “Officers responded to a radio call involving some sort of shooting-type incident,” Sharki said. “(During) the course of that investigation, officers had a confrontation with a suspect which led to an officer-involved shooting.”Sharki said police were investigating several different scenes. The initial call was about a road rage-type incident, according to police Officer David O’Brien. The suspect left his car on a center divider off Mesa College Drive Circle near Armstrong Place. Fox 5 San Diego showed a white Tesla with its trunk open and lights flashing behind police crime scene tape at the campus. According to radio calls, the suspect was seen holding something in one of his hands that officers thought might have been a cell phone. Officers later reported the man appeared to be holding a gun. At one point, a police K-9, identified as K-9 Sir, was sent after the suspect. Then, shortly after 2:35 a.m., someone on the radio reported “shots fired” and said K-9 Sir had been hit. The San Diego Police Officers Association confirmed on Twitter that K-9 Sir was killed in the shooting.” Our dog saved the lives of the officers and citizens in the area. RIP. The suspect is no longer a threat and the officers and innocent victims of the shooting are uninjured.” Police said K-9 Sir was a 4-year-old Malinois who served with his human partner for a year and a half. County sheriff’s homicide investigators are handling the investigation into the shooting under a countywide protocol that calls for sheriff’s office to investigate shootings involving SDPD officers. No other details were immediately released.

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.