There's a special place in our hearts for working K9's, whether they serve in the military, as a Police officer, with Search and Rescue, or in any other capacity. There's also a special place in hell for someone who would take the life of these incredible heroes.
Officer Major, a Franklin County Sheriff's Department K9 from Oxford North Carolina died in the line of duty this last week while trying to apprehend an armed robbery suspect.
The suspect, 21-year-old William Darius Eichelberger, was being hunted for allegedly stealing a car at gunpoint. Local law enforcement located the vehicle later in the day but Eichelberger was nowhere to be found.
The next day, Officers responded to a suspicious fire and ended up locating Eichelberger in a crawlspace of the burning residence. K9 Officer Major was brought in as part of a specialized team to search the confined space and apprehend the suspect.
As the Officers moved in, Eichelberger opened fire. Major was fatally wounded in the ensuing gunfight.
Major's fellow Officers returned fire but Eichelberger was not hit, likely due to his position of cover. No other Law Enforcement personnel were injured.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Major's partner and the department. The loss of any Officer is deeply felt by everyone in the community.
Leave a comment below letting us know how you feel about our heroic working dogs serving in the Military or as First Responders.
He will be missed, I am sure by all who knew him. My prayers to all law enforcement. You all have a rough and dangerous job. God bless You every single one.
They should allow all the other K-9s to take revenge on the shooter until he goes to hell.
The young man was only 21 years old! You need some counseling, you need help.
YOU are the one who needs help, but it's probably too late for you!!!!!!!!!
I believe Major was a very valuable part of the Sheriff's department and loyal to his partner. It is very sad that he lost his life and i know he will be missed by all.
So sad, sincere sympathy in your loss
My heart goes out to this brave K-9 Major. All law officers should earn our respect big time.
RIP 🐾🐾🐾🐾
My heart goes out to this brave K-9 Major…RIP. Your fellow officers will take it from here.
People need to respect our law officers…after all they are the ones you call when you need them…
Only 21 years old! So young and so afraid. He needs help, he is still just a child. I wonder what kind of a life he had? How was he raised and did he have both parents growing up? He is in my prayers and I hope he gets the help he needs from someone.
He is old enough to murder a police officer. He is old enough to pay the consequences.
it must be so painful to loose your best companion.here in calif. the idiot place, is screaming ''abolish'' the police again. why does this country only have morons in their congress??? it is time to bring back the death penalty, before the citizens are unable to leave their homes. in no other country do citizens think of abolishing the police. without these brave men and dogs as partners we the citizens could not survive.
Unfortunately we have a society that values the lives of K9 and other animals more than a unborn human...humanity at its lowest.
I have never read anything more stupid or assinine. You must be a very sick person!! 21 or not , this armed suspect is lucky he was not shot and killed by the PD. If it had been my police officer dog that this happened to, the suspect would have ended up in the morgue!!!
The penalty for murdering a K9 officer should be the same as for murdering a human office. They both put their lives on the line every day!
Why are the police sending in an unarmed dog to apprehend an armed suspect? That incidence is as bad as a dog officer in California, who sent his dog after a suspect, who had a knife (and the K9 officer knew the suspect had a knife) and the suspect killed the dog with the knife. Plus in California the officers could not shoot the suspect as he was killing the dog! When I was in South Vietnam 1967 with the USMC, the Military dogs were trained to kill the person who they attacked but police dogs are trained to grab and hold the suspect. WHY don't the police understand that problem? POOR K9 Major RIP!
A violent criminal with a weapon trying to kill man, woman, child or animal should be 'taken care of' right then & there. Stop pampering these violent bastard(s).
you are right on point. criminals in this country under biden have more rights then decent people. no wonder this country has more , murders, pedophiles, serial killers etc. no one cares about the familys, here death penalty means'' sitting in jail for life, getting taking care of by the tax payers. criminals need to work on our streets etc, if they run shoot them on side.
our government is to weak and uncaring.
Using the same logic and legal justification that allows us to quarantine a contagious tuberculosis patient, we need send violent offenders to mental hospitals and make the doctors liable for post release behavior.
When you add up all the costs of violent crime, it is cheaper to confine and treat than to punish and release.
Read "The Sociopath Next Door" by Martha Stout to better understand the mind of the criminal.
I love dogs but that is to be expected when the criminals are cornered and the partnering officer can't gain control of the K9.
You love dogs??? My ASS!! You are a jerk!!
What happened to the suspect who shot the police dog?
Back The Blue it's The Right Thing to do !