Marion County Sheriff Department K9 Officer Shot and Killed

Story By Kevin O Neal Indy star

 A Marion County Sheriff's Department dog and a man being chased by officers were killed in an exchange of gunfire on the Southside Monday afternoon.

The dog was only the second to die by hostile fire, said Lt. Benny Diggs, the commander of the department's K9 unit. For the animals' handlers, who train with the dogs and care for them at their homes, it's like the loss of a human partner.

"For the eight hours a day you spend with that dog, you develop almost a family-like bond with them," Diggs said.

The dog, an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois named Arco, was handled by Cpl. Marc Archer, an 11-year sheriff's department veteran. Archer was seen leaving the scene of the shooting in tears.

The gunfire ended a 40-minute search through a residential neighborhood, dotted with weeds and woods, for a man police were trying to arrest. That man, whose name was not immediately released, had been sought by police on arrest warrants.

He died inside a small shed behind a residence in the 3600 block of Carson Avenue. Police on Monday night were still trying to determine where the officers were standing when the shots were fired.

Initial indications were that the man being sought fired first, followed almost immediately by return fire from the officers.

The shooting was reported by frenzied police radio calls at 5:40 p.m. Monday. People in the vicinity said they heard several shots.

"We were in the back yard and heard five, six pops," said Rick Bowman of Iowa, who was visiting friends in the 1800 block of Norton Avenue. "It sounded real close."

That location is a few hundred feet from the shooting scene.

Police were called about 5 p.m. by residents in the 3600 block of Randolph Street.

"A call came in that there was a person with a gun that police were looking for," said Sgt. Judy Phillips, police spokesperson.

That man was wanted on several criminal arrest warrants, including one for a parole violation, Phillips said. When police arrived on Randolph Street the man ran, and police called in extra officers to search the neighborhood.

The sheriff's deputy was involved because the deputy's dog was needed to assist with the search, police said. The area is on the outer fringe of the IPD South District, where the sheriff's jurisdiction begins.

Residents of the house on Carson Avenue then called police to report he was in their back yard. Police went to the house, and the exchange of gunfire followed.

The dog was carried to a patrol car and rushed to the VCA Southeastern Animal Hospital, 4960 S. Emerson Ave., where it was pronounced dead.

Police at first could not say who fired shots at the man, although it was likely that more than one officer returned fire.

Indianapolis police procedure allows officers involved in shootings to consult with attorneys from their union, the Fraternal Order of Police, before they are questioned by homicide detectives. Officers could not say if that procedure was a factor in the pace of the investigation.

The dog was turned over to the Marion County coroner's office; they will need to recover evidence, especially any bullets fired in the shootout.

As a deputy coroner carried the dog's covered body out of the animal hospital, "one of the deputies took his badge and pinned it to the cover" as a show of respect, Diggs said. "It was all I couStld do to keep from tearing up."

Sheriff's dog and their handlers train at least once a month. Belgian Mailnois puppies typically cost $400 to $1,000, but months of training will be necessary to make a new dog ready for active patrol. Diggs said a memorial service will be held for Arco.