Police K-9, suspect killed after shootout with Burbank police
A police K-9 and a man are dead following a shootout near the 5 Freeway in Burbank on Saturday night, authorities confirmed.
The situation was first reported around 6:40 p.m. Saturday, when the Burbank Police Department said officers attempted a routine traffic stop near the Buena Vista Street offramp to the northbound lanes of the freeway. During the stop, a man jumped out of the vehicle from the passenger seat and darted to the onramp, where he climbed an embankment wall and escaped to a nearby neighborhood.
Police said a coordinated search ensued using a helicopter and police K-9. During the search, the man encountered the K-9 and shot it multiple times before fleeing on foot.
The K-9, identified by Burbank police as "Spike," was pronounced dead at a local emergency veterinarian.
As the search continued, the man was eventually located in thick, uneven terrain "adjacent to the northbound Interstate-5 freeway near the Buena Vista Street on-ramp" in a residential neighborhood, police said. He was still armed.
The situation developed into a joint operation between the Burbank and Glendale police departments. Police said multiple attempts were made to negotiate with the man and urge him to surrender peacefully, but he refused.
During the deployment of less-than-lethal munitions to attempt to make the man surrender, he opened fire on police. Authorities said he struck multiple police vehicles, leading to officers returning fire.
During the shootout, officers shot the man. He was pronounced deceased at the scene and investigators recovered his handgun.
He's yet to be identified publicly.
Burbank police remembered Spike in a post to social media.
"Spike was an intelligent and devoted partner, known for his gentle nature off duty and his tenacity and dedication while serving," the post reads. "Please keep Spike's handler, his family, and the Burbank PD in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this tremendous loss."
The 5 Freeway was shut down during the investigation. As of 6:40 a.m., three of the northbound lanes remained closed at Burbank Boulevard.