Police dog returns home a hero with 19-car procession from WSU after getting shot

A Moses Lake police dog is getting a police escort home from Pullman on Wednesday after he was shot in the eye by a robbery suspect.

The suspect was killed by police in the shootout.

K9 Chief has been through a series of surgeries at the WSU Veterinary Hospital after he was shot in the face Friday. Veterinarians finished the final surgery to remove his left eye.

After being rushed to Pullman, veterinarians discovered Chief was lucky because none of the bullet fragments penetrated his skull, police said.

However, while he is healthy, it’s unlikely he will be able to return to work.

“If he must be retired, rest assured that he will enjoy a cushy house job as a pet in Officer Stewart’s home,” the department said on Facebook.

“Every dollar spent on him, every minute spent training him was worth it for one 12-second event in which he saved his handler’s life.”

Animal handlers from Spokane, Pullman, Grant County and Moses Lake escorted Chief back home with a procession starting about noon Wednesday that was expected to stretch through Moses Lake.

People from across Eastern Washington have been following reports on Chief’s recovery since Friday’s shooting.

Chief and Officer Nick Stewart were part of a chase that started with detectives searching for a suspect in multiple robberies.

Police spotted a car linked to the suspect in the northern end of the city, and after a chase officers used spike strips to stop the car, according to police.

When the car stopped, Jose L. Rivera, 22, jumped out and started running, chased by Grant County deputies and Moses Lake police started chasing after him.

Police Chief Kevin Fuhr said body camera footage showed Stewart yell several times to “drop the gun.”

“Within a few seconds you hear multiple gunshots and can see Chief on the ground bleeding from the face,” Fuhr said in a Facebook post.

The video also shows Rivera on the ground with a handgun next to him, the chief said.

This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 11:17 AM.