Dax

Incident

K9 Dax succumbed to injuries he received while apprehending a fleeing suspect just before midnight on March 3, 2024.

Officers from the Pleasant Prairie Police Department, Wisconsin, were pursuing a juvenile driver in a stolen vehicle who crossed the state line from Wisconsin into Illinois. After colliding with a squad car, the driver crashed the stolen vehicle at the 41000 block of North Green Bay Road in Unincorporated Zion and fled on foot. K9 Dax and his handler tracked the suspect into a wooden area. When he refused to surrender, K9 Dax was released for an apprehension and bit the subject.

The suspect was charged in Illinois and Wisconsin.

During the apprehension, K9 Dax injured his neck and spine, resulting in him being unable to walk on his hind legs. K9 Dax went through physical therapy but was unable to return to duty. His condition declined, and five weeks later, on April 12, 2024, he was humanely euthanized.

K9 Dax had served with the Lake County Sheriff's Office for nine years. He received the 2018 K9s of Valor Foundation "K-9 of the Year" award and the 2023 Illinois Law Enforcement Medal of Honor.