By Police1 Staff
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Police in Florida are searching for a suspect they believe drowned a K-9 during a foot pursuit.
According to WJXT, deputies responded to a home early Tuesday morning on a disturbance call.
26-year-old Brandon Allison, the subject of the investigation, fled from the residence before police arrived.
Allison, who was also wanted on a felony charge for dealing cocaine, was tracked by Deputy Farrah Ashe and K-9 Baron in a wooded area.
Deputy Ashe helped K-9 Baron over a fence during the pursuit, and she could hear the K-9 engaging with a man in the woods.
Ashe found Baron unresponsive in a body of water after making her way over the fence. Baron was transported to a hospital, where he died as the result of drowning.
The suspect had already fled the scene when Ashe arrived.
“We do believe the suspect drowned the dog; we can’t confirm that at this point in time,” Cmdr. Chuck Mulligan told WJXT. “But, there are indicators in that site where the dog was located and some evidence was left behind at that site that we believe potentially belongs to the suspect.”
Officers searched the area for hours but could not find Allison. The investigation is ongoing.