Police Dog Killed During Pursuit In Indianapolis-Area Woods

Associated Press

Officer Jarred Koopman is pictured here with 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, Harlej.
*Courtesy Fishers Police Department/Facebook*

FISHERS, Ind. (AP) — Suburban Indianapolis police say a police dog was killed while tracking a suspected drunken driver in a wooded area.

Fishers police Sgt. Tom Weger tells The Indianapolis Star that officers were pursuing the motorist early Wednesday when the man stopped his vehicle and ran into a neighborhood just north of Indianapolis.

Officer Jarred Koopman and the 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, named Harlej, pursued the driver on foot. Koopman let the dog run ahead when the suspect disappeared into the woods.

Weger says Koopman heard what he believed was a gunshot moments later.

Officers arrested the man, who had a leg injury believed inflicted by the dog. Harlej was found dead nearby. Weger says Harlej likely died of a gunshot wound.

Police arrested a woman who was also in the vehicle.

Tags:Fishers

Support independent journalism today. You rely on WFYI to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Donate to power our nonprofit reporting today. Give now.

Voter turnout in Central Indiana continues to trend low for primary elections

Preliminary voter turnout in Indianapolis and its donut counties was less than 20 percent in the May 7 primary election.

Local News / May 7, 2024

How Central Indiana's competitive races played out on Primary Election Day

The primary election on May 7, 2024 gave Central Indiana voters the chance to decide a number of competitive national and Statehouse races.

Local News / May 6, 2024

Many dead fish found in Tippecanoe County waters, IDEM says to avoid Flint Creek

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has advised the public to avoid waters around Flint Creek in Tippecanoe County, after a report of a significant number of dead fish.