Plymouth Police Officer Forced To Shoot K9 After Dog Attacks Him

PLYMOUTH, MA—A Plymouth police officer was forced to shoot his K-9 partner on Tuesday morning after the dog attacked him, said a news release from Plymouth Police Department.

Police say that at approximately 9:20 a.m., officers were dispatched to a call for service where the suspect had fled the scene. One of the officers was Keith Larson, who pulled into a parking lot near 179 court Street to prepare Nico, his police dog, for the call. It was during this interaction when Nico attacked Larson.

"After several attempts to disengage Nico, Officer Larson was forced to utilize his service weapon," said the release. "Unfortunately, Nico died at the scene."

Following the incident, Larson was transported to South Shore Hospital to be treated for injuries to his hands.

Plymouth police said Larson has been with the department for 17 years. He was assigned to the K9 unit in 2017 and had been assigned to Nico since 2019. Larson received a bite to his hand while deploying Nico earlier this year, at which time Larson and Nico were reassigned to the Sheriff's Department K9 academy and recertified for service in July.