Police dog honored after being shot

LITTLE ROCK, AR – A North Little Rock police dog grazed by a bullet while searching for a man suspected of shooting at deputies last Friday was honored with a special award.

Multiple law enforcement agencies were searching for Kenneth Alexander after they say he fired upon Pulaski County deputies. Byron, a police dog from North Little Rock, was called out to assist in the search.

Byron found Alexander hiding beneath a house. That’s when he was shot at. Police say the bullet went through Byron’s ear and grazed the back of his head.

Thursday, Sheriff Doc Holladay and North Little Rock Police Chief Danny Bradley presented Byron and his hander, Officer Chris Gardner, with the Medal of Valor.

Gardner says the job couldn’t have been done without the brave K-9.

“We get called to a lot of situations where sometimes the quarters are very tight, areas we sometimes can’t get to. Also, he can search them a lot quicker and, honestly, more safe. If we didn’t have dogs there that night, God forbid, it might have been a situation where an officer was underneath the house.”