OXFORD, N.C. (WNCN) — A police officer and his K-9 partner are being treated after they were shot by a heavily armed suspect inside a home in Oxford Friday, according to Bryan Cohn.
At about 6:20 p.m., the commissioner said Oxford Police K-9 Corp. Daniel Allen, a five-year veteran of the agency, was shot while responding to a disturbance call on Prospect Avenue.
He said when Allen got out of the vehicle, he was met by a “rapid succession of gunfire” and was able to take cover while waiting for backup.
Another officer was also met with gunfire on arrival, but was not injured, according to a release from the commissioner.
It said the unidentified suspect continued to shoot at police vehicles and multiple bullets hit them.
A dog with the police force, K-9 Halligan, was shot multiple times inside while in the vehicle, the commissioner said.
He said the suspect then barricaded himself inside the residence and refused any communication attempts.
Granville Health System was on lockdown at approximately 7:15 p.m., a spokesperson told CBS 17. The spokesperson did not share when the lockdown started or what the nature of the lockdown was.
A nearby Food Lion grocery store had also closed early because of the incident.
Commissioner Cohn said multiple agencies were called to assisted Oxford police, including:
- State Bureau of Investigations
- Granville County Sheriff’s Office
- Vance County Sheriff’s Office
- Durham County Sheriff’s Office
- Henderson Police Department
- Wake Forest Police Department
- Raleigh Police Department
- Highway Patrol
- ALE Emergency Management
- Oxford Fire Department
- EMS
After several hours and planning, the commissioner said the Durham County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh Police Department’s specialized units determined that the suspect inside the home had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Allen and the K-9 are being treated in hospitals outside of Oxford and both remain in stable condition, according to the commissioner.
At the time of the incident, Mayor Jackie Sergent of Oxford told CBS 17 that she’s heard there was a situation with an injury.
In full, her statement said, “At this time, we have no additional information to share as we are staying out of the fray in order to let our officers work without added distraction. We have faith in our first responders that they will be able to get the situation under control, and we pray without additional injury. We ask that all concerned keep those who are responding in their thoughts and pray for peaceful resolution.”
CBS 17 had a crew in Oxford to get the latest updates on this active situation.
