A career criminal in California, Johnny Ray Llamas, who had three outstanding felony warrants for robbery, sexually assaulting a child, and a parole violation, was just shot down by cops after heartlessly shooting a K-9 officer, Rudy.
Llamas, at the time of the shooting, had been on the lam for weeks. He was found hiding out in Riverside County, near Los Angeles, after weeks of searching by the Special Enforcement Bureau of the county sheriff’s office, after police received a call on April 14 that two individuals who appeared to be on drugs were seen running around in Perris, California.
Police arrived on the scene and chased Llamas through the residential area, assisted in their search and pursuit by Rudy, a K-9 officer. Dramatic body camera footage of the incident then shows the police reporting shots fired and that the K-9 officer was down, as Llamas shot Rudy during his attempts to flee.
Helicopter footage of the incident then shows deputies demanding Llamas drop his firearm, which he refused to do while attempting to head back into the residential area. The deputies then, as the helicopter footage shows, fired on Llamas after he pointed his firearm in their direction. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department posted bodycam video of the horrific incident to Facebook, watch it here:
The department honored Rudy’s sacrifice in a May 31 Facebook post, saying, “This morning we gathered to remember and honor K-9 Rudy. We thank our law enforcement partners who attended as well as members of the community who have shown their support over the past few weeks. Deputy Day, our prayers continue to be with you and your family. K-9 Rudy • EOW April 14, 2023 #riversidesheriff #k9 #neverforget.”
Similarly, in a post on Facebook from the Palm Springs Police Deparment, members of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office were quoted as speaking about Rudy’s sacrifice. Deputy Day, Rudy’s handler, said, “Thankfully I’m here today, along with other members of SEB (Special Enforcement Bureau), because of Rudy. Rudy gave the ultimate sacrifice and died a true warrior’s death on April 14th, 2023.”
Additionally, Sergeant Dave Morton of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said, “Rudy located the suspect in that tree-line simply by using his nose and training. No one could have known it at the time, but that would be Rudy’s last act of service, as he made the ultimate sacrifice,so Deputy Day and the search team could make it home to their families….Deputy Day always knew the risk involved with apprehending violent criminals, but he never wavered on utilizing Rudy as a buffer between the evil who wish to harm us and the deputies who dedicate their lives to apprehending that evil.”
Further, just a few weeks before the incident, the sheriff’s office proudly announced that Rudy and his handler, Deputy Day, had won the K9 tournament. “Over the past weekend, members of Riverside County Sheriffs’ K-9 Team competed in the annual Las Vegas Metro Police Department K9 Trials. There were several events and approximately 80 combined teams competing. Approximately 5,000 people attended to watch the event at the South Point Hotel and Casino. Congratulations to our handlers who took home awards! 🏆 Deputy Day and K9 Rudy: 1st Place – Handler Protection,” the post said.
Featured image credit: Menifee Police Department, screengrab from the embedded video,
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