In loving memory of Police K-9 Sultan

Riverside County

End of Watch: 1/21/2015

Sultan, a three-year-old Belgian Malinois-German Shepherd mix, had been sent into the crawlspace of a house in Hemet in search of a wanted felon. Moments later, officers heard an indistinguishable sound and Sultan emerged with a wound to his neck. He was immediately transported to an animal hospital. The suspect remained barricaded in the residence.

SWAT team and crisis negotiator efforts to persuade the suspect to surrender failed. Several hours later, the suspect, armed with a handgun, emerged from the crawlspace and was shot and killed by Riverside County Sheriff’s Department deputies.

Sultan died at the animal hospital of what was found to be a gunshot wound; Sultan was not wearing body armor, but the wound was in a location that would not have been protected by body armor in any case. Chief Deputy Geoff Raya said Sultan would not have been sent to search for the suspect if deputies had known that the suspect was armed.

Sultan, a two-year veteran of the department, is the first K-9 killed in the line of duty in the history of Riverside County Sheriff’s Department K-9 program.