K-9 Officer Rocky Shot After Locating Suspected Cop Killer in Houston Dumpster

A K-9 officer was hit by gunfire and wounded this week after he used his sense of smell to locate the suspected killer of a sheriff’s deputy in Houston, Texas, authorities say.

Rocky, a 1-year-old Belgian Malinois assigned to the U.S. Marshals Service, sustained multiple gunshot wounds on Jan. 15 after alerting officers to the location of Robert Lee Davis, who was suspected of killing Brazoria County Sheriff’s Deputy Jesus Vargas earlier in the day.

Davis was hiding in a dumpster near the site of the shooting, an alley outside a strip mall on Stella Link Road in Houston, law enforcement said at a press conference Wednesday evening.

Just before 5 p.m., Rocky alerted law enforcement sweeping the area to the dumpster, said Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz. When officers opened it up, Rocky jumped inside and found Davis hiding under “tons” of trash, said Diaz.

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The suspect immediately started shooting, striking Rocky twice before officers could return fire, said Diaz. Davis was hit multiple times and succumbed to his injuries in the dumpster.

Rocky, meanwhile, was carried by multiple officers to a waiting helicopter in the parking lot and was transported to a local veterinarian’s office where he was listed in stable condition, Houston Public Media reported.

“The amazing aspect here, and people have to understand, the K-9 saved lives,” said T. Michael O’Connor, the U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Texas. “This guy had no intentions whatsoever to be taken alive.”

Earlier in the day, Vargas had been serving Davis with an arrest warrant on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon when the suspect opened fire on officers, striking Vargas, the Houston Chronicle reported. The deputy was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved.

Davis was also wanted on aggravated sexual assault charges, stemming from the alleged rape of a family member at gunpoint in April of last year, the Chronicle reported.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.