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Florida Officer Shoots His Injured K-9 Partner

An Orlando Police Department officer was forced to shoot his own police dog when the animal was injured and refused to let go of the officer's arm on Monday.

K-9 unit officer Danny Sidders was attempting to arrest a man in a stolen vehicle when his dog, Viper, bit Sidders. The dog was severely injured moments earlier when the stolen vehicle struck Viper.

A photo of Viper, who was put down after being injured on Monday. The incident began about 11 a.m. when an Orlando Police sergeant saw a stolen SUV with three people inside. When officers tried to stop the vehicle, the driver rammed two patrol cars and tried to run over an officer.

The SUV ended up in a ditch.

Sidders, who was alone on the scene, sent Viper to chase two fleeing men in nearby woods, according to a news release. Sidders than saw a third person still in the vehicle and began to pull him from the SUV.

"The subject actively resisted and Officer Sidders deployed Viper to apprehend the suspect," the news release states.

But Viper bit Sidders' arm and refused to release. After several minutes of trying to get free from the dog, Sidders was forced to shoot Viper.

The three occupants of the stolen SUV were taken into custody.

Viper was 3 years old.

www.officer.com/web/online/Top-News-Stories/Florida-Officer-Shoots-His
-Injured-K-9-Partner/1$47186

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