HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss. — A Mississippi prison is investigating after a K-9 officer was shot and killed while working to keep contraband out of the facility.
K-9 Officer Floki, a 7-year-old Dutch Shepherd assigned to the Marshall County Correctional Facility, was found dead the morning of April 2, according to the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The DOC believes K-9 Floki was shot around 7:45 p.m. on April 1 while working the back perimeter of the prison.
K-9 Commander Josh Russell found Floki when he went to bring the K-9 in for food and water.
Floki was a multipurpose K-9 trained in tracking, narcotics detection and other correctional duties.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Holly Springs Police Department and the facility’s Corrections Investigation Division are investigating the killing.
MDOC Commissioner Burl Cain is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
“It’s a shame to kill a defenseless dog who was doing his job to help us keep contraband out of the prison,” Cain said. “It’s just a shame to kill our dog.”
Cain said killing or injuring a public service animal is a felony in Mississippi. A conviction carries a maximum penalty of a $5,000 fine, five years in prison, or both.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Marshall County Correctional Facility Superintendent Frank Caswell or the prison’s CID at 662-252-7111.
