Fort Lauderdale K-9 Shot During Burglary

A Fort Lauderdale police dog was shot in the shoulder Saturday night while officers tried to stop a burglary suspect who was running from a home. (nbcmiami.com) Police said officers were called to the 1600 block of Northwest 16th Court around 7:30 p.m. after a report of a possible residential burglary. They set up a perimeter and used the Broward Sheriff’s Office aviation unit before sending K-9 Appie after the fleeing suspect. (nbcmiami.com) Investigators said the suspect pulled a gun and shot Appie, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, before SWAT officers moved in. Police arrested Christian Q. Bouie, who Local 10 identified as 30, and officers recovered a gun at the scene. (local10.com, nbcmiami.com) Appie was taken for emergency veterinary care and scheduled for surgery Monday. Fort Lauderdale police said the dog has been with the department since 2023 and is expected to survive. (nbcmiami.com) Bouie was also hospitalized after Appie bit him and another police dog helped during the arrest, according to Local 10. He was later booked into the Broward County Main Jail. (local10.com) Police said Bouie now faces four charges: use of a deadly weapon on a police animal, interfering with law enforcement with violence, possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon, and resisting arrest without violence. CBS Miami also reported that he is accused of using a deadly weapon on a police animal. (local10.com, cbsnews.com) At a Monday bond hearing, NBC Miami reported, Bouie refused to appear in court. A woman who identified herself as his mother apologized to the judge and made unverified claims that her son had been forced into the burglary by a roommate. (nbcmiami.com) The case is still under investigation, and the immediate question now is Appie’s recovery after surgery. For Fort Lauderdale police, the shooting turned a burglary call into an assault case involving one of the department’s K-9s. (cbsnews.com, nbcmiami.com)