The K9 Unit in Humansdorp is mourning the loss of one of their beloved four-legged officers who died in the line of duty on Monday.
Deacon, a Rottweiler, was with his handler Sergeant Pat Le Grange when they responded to a housebreaking in the St Francis Bay Area.
Spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu says the suspect entered dense bushes in the area and Sergeant Le Grange and Deacon were in hot pursuit.
She says Le Grange and Deacon crawled into the thicket with Deacon leading the way on a long leash, but then he heard a loud scream and rushed to his dog.
As Sgt Le Grange stood up, the suspect lunged at him with a knife and Deacon, who had already been stabbed still got up to protect his handler, enabling him to make an arrest.
Colonel Naidu says Deacon was bleeding profusely and was rushed to a nearby vet where he suffered a cardiac arrest and died.
She says the 19-year-old suspect has already appeared in the Humansdorp Magistrates court where he was charged with housebreaking, attack on a police official and malicious damage to property, for the death of Deacon.
