17-year-old killed by police after shooting, killing Clayton County K9, police say

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A 17-year-old suspect has died after Clayton County police say he shot and killed a K9 on Saturday morning.

Clayton County police told Channel 2 Action News Stephon Ford, 17, was shot by police behind a gas station hours later. He died from his injuries.

Investigators say they were asked to assist the City of Jonesboro Police Department at 1:46 a.m. on Tara Blvd.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Jonesboro police say they were looking for three men at a hotel. Two of them were caught a short time later. They called for Clayton County’s assistance to locate the third, Ford.

During the search, Clayton County Police Department K9 Waro was released into the woods to locate Ford after he did not comply with the officer’s commands.

Police said Ford pulled out a handgun and began firing toward the officers. One of the bullets hit the K9, who later died at the hospital.

During Channel 2 Action News Saturday AM, Channel 2′s Justin Carter followed police to an ongoing SWAT situation at a home on Magnolia Drive where they believed Ford was hiding.

TRENDING STORIES:

• ‘Margaritaville’ singer Jimmy Buffett dies at 76
• ‘I forgive you:’ Wife of Atlanta actor gunned down in road rage shooting has message for his killer
• 2 metro Atlanta cities make top 3 in list of 25 best places to live in the Southeast

No other police officers were injured during the shooting.

After shooting K9 Waro, authorities obtained warrants to charge Ford with aggravated assault on a peace officer, aggravated cruelty to animals and destruction of government property.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says they have been called to the scene and are investigating.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:

2 dead, 2 injured in string of separate shootings across the city of Atlanta

©2023 Cox Media Group