K9 Shot While Chasing Wanted Man Expected To Make Full Recovery

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — A police dog who was shot last week was released from the hospital Sunday, the Kenosha County Sheriff's department said in a statement.

K9 Riggs suffered a gunshot wound to the forehead during a Thursday chase in which deputies apprehended a man wanted in connection with a Chicago murder, authorities said.

According to authorities, police responded to Benson Corners gas station after receiving a tip from Chicago police that the suspect was driving the murder victim's car around the area. After officials confronted the man, police said he ran off with a gun in his hand.

Riggs was sent to chase after him, following the man to a nearby highway, where the dog was able to jump on him and take him to the ground. In the process, the man fired an unknown number of shots, hitting Riggs once in the head, according to the sheriff's department.

After hearing the shots, a spokesman for the department said deputies then fired at the man, shooting him once in the abdomen and leg. The man was taken to the hospital, where he underwent surgery. Police would not say the man's condition.

Riggs was taken to a veterinary hospital in Buffalo Grove, where he was released a few days later. The K9 is expected to make a full recovery and even walked out on his own, a spokesperson said.

Police did not comment on what Chicago murder the man or the car were connected to. No charges had been filed against him as of Monday afternoon.

Residents across the Chicago area were raising money for Riggs' recovery, though the sheriff's department said anyone who wishes to donate to the K9 program should mail a check directly to the Kenosha County Sheriff's department in order to avoid possible scams.