Two K-9 Officers Shot While Apprehending Car Jacker in Florida

Nick Gilbertson

K-9 officers Ax and Endo were shot after engaging a car-jacking suspect in DeLand, Florida, on September 10.

Officers tracked a stolen Kia Sedona to a wooded area near a Lowe’s and an apartment complex in DeLand. Near midnight, Officer A.J. Davis and his K-9 Ax were tracking the subject in the woods when shots were fired according to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood. “At a point in time where K-9 Ax begins to close in our suspect, apparently three shots rang out, one of which strikes K-9 Ax in the face.”

Video shows that Deputy A.J. Davis immediately tended to the Ax’s needs as he secures the dog in his vehicle and began driving away in the aftermath of his K-9’s bullet wound. Ax was rushed to a 24-hour veterinarian hospital where he was treated for his injuries. According to the sheriff, all Daytona Police K-9s arrived at the hospital in order to donate blood to injured Ax. 

After shooting Ax, suspect Shedrick Singleton Jr moved deeper into the woods. Around 2:30 am, the suspect attempted to flee the wooded area on foot when K-9 Endo was released by his handler in order to apprehend the suspect.

“He releases Endo, and as Endo apprehends our suspect, two shots rang out where Endo was shot in the jaw and shot in the paw,” detailed Sheriff Chitwood. “At that point, SWAT team members and K-9 members opened fire striking the suspect multiple times. K-9 Endo is transported to a veterinarian hospital in South Daytona where he undergoes emergency surgery.”

Both dogs are recovering from their injuries and “are right back on their feet” according to a tweet from the Volusia Sherrif’s office. The suspect was transported to Central Florida Regional Hospital with life-threatening injuries. 

Chitwood added that Endo had previously been shot in the line of duty in response to a domestic call in November of 2015 while responding to a domestic call. The K-9 officer received the VSO Medal of Valor and a Purple Heart for his service. 

The sheriff explained that “there is no doubt that K-9 Ax and K-9 Endo took bullets that were meant for my deputies, because if the deputies would have gone into the woods, the first person to come into contact with Singleton, without a doubt, would have been shot.”

Suspect Shedrick Singleton Jr had stolen the minivan from a Lyft driver who picked Singleton up in Sanford and brought him to a remote area in Osteen per the suspect’s request. Upon arriving, the suspect held the driver up at gunpoint and forced him to leave his car. Singleton then took off. 

After some time had transpired, a motorist spotted the Lyft driver and called 911, providing police with the license plate number of the stolen car. law enforcement then used the License Plate Readers (LPR)  to locate the vehicle and the suspect. 

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