JONESBORO, Ga. — A teenager was shot and killed by police after running from officers and shooting a K9 officer on Saturday morning, Clayton County Police Department said in a press conference.
Police said that when officers were pursuing 17-year-old Stephon Ford, he raised a gun at them. That's when officers shot the teen, killing him. The police department did not say if the teen fired at them in this instance.
The incident began around 2 a.m. when Ford fled from officers with two others after a call came in stating that there was suspicious activity at a hotel in the area. Police said two others were caught, but Ford kept escaping police.
Police were dispatched to block 8000 of Tara Blvd. around 1:46 a.m., stating that the K9 officer was sent into the wood line where the suspect was last seen.
When the K9 officer found the suspect, officers said they verbally commanded him to surrender, but the teen began shooting at them. Clayton Police said its K9 officer was hit and taken to a local animal hospital for treatment and later died.
Warrants were issued for his arrest on the following charges: aggravated assault on a peace officer, aggravated cruelty to animals and destruction of government property.
Officers then got SWAT involved while searching homes around the area before running into Ford again.
The call was initially for the Jonesboro Police Department, but the agency asked Clayton County Police to assist. It's now being turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for review.
Rewatch the press conference below:
About K9 Officer Waro
According to the police department, K9 Officer Waro joined the force in March 2021. He came to Georgia from Tarheel Canine in North Carolina and was a 2-year-old German shepherd. He was originally born in Slovakia.
Police said that Waro received his National Narcotics Detector Dog Association (NNDDA) certification for patrol and detection.
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