Contributed photo by Bradley County Sheriff’s Office / Bradley County Sheriff’s Office deputy Eduardo Choate and his K-9 partner Joker are shown in a 2020 photo posted on the department’s social media page.Authorities in Cleveland, Tennessee, said a Bradley County Sheriff’s Office police K-9 was shot multiple times during a foot chase Wednesday morning in the woods near the Toyota of Cleveland dealership at Interstate 75’s exit 20.
Police are seeking at least four men in connection with the shooting.
The department’s K-9, Joker, had surgery Wednesday and was reported in “semi-stable” condition afterwards.
The dog has been in service with the department for the last five years and “is a cherished, loyal and devoted BCSO family member,” sheriff’s spokesperson Alana Shell said in a social media post. “Joker is truly our hero.”
Joker’s handler, deputy Eduardo Choate, was uninjured during the incident, she said.