An Omaha police K-9 was fatally shot on Saturday by a suspect during a standoff that lasted 26 hours.
K-9 Kobus was struck by a round fired by 59-year-old Mark L'Heureux nearly a day after authorities attempted to serve a warrant ordering a psychiatric evaluation at his home near 83rd Street and Keyston Drive around 5:30 p.m. Friday, according to The World-Herald .
Douglas County Chief Deputy Sheriff Thomas Wheeler said the suspect -- who was alone in the house -- retreated to his basement and said that he wasn't coming out.
L’Heureux shot and killed Kobus around 4 p.m. on Saturday officers believed he had become disoriented by a flashbang device.
L'Heureux surrendered around 6:30 p.m. and was booked in the Douglas County Jail on suspicion of three counts of attempted first-degree homicide, four counts of use of a weapon to commit a felony and one count of harassment of a police animal, which also is a felony.
Kobus, a 9-year-old Belgian Malinois, had served the department since 2008 and was scheduled to go into retirement in the coming months.
"The loss of our K-9 brings great sadness to the department and to his partner and handler, Officer Matthew McKinney," Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said in a statement. "Kobus died in the line of duty in order to protect the lives of sworn law enforcement."
The First Responders Foundation has set up a memorial fund for Kobus. The funds raised on the Internet or mailed to P.O. Box 540158, Omaha, NE 68154 will help with the purchase of working dogs.
