DeKalb police K-9 recovering after deadly shootout in Stone Mountain

A DeKalb County police dog is recovering after being shot Tuesday afternoon during an officer-involved shootout in Stone Mountain, authorities said.

A 26-year-old suspect was shot by police and killed, according to DeKalb police spokeswoman Michaela Vincent. The dog, identified as K-9 D’Jango, was still hospitalized Tuesday night.

The shooting occurred about 1 p.m. after officers noticed a man walking toward a convenience store at the corner of North Hairston Road and Central Drive who was wanted on multiple warrants, Vincent said. The suspect was identified Wednesday as Akinyia Malik Jerome Gray.

When officers approached the man, he ran into the Hidden Meadows townhome community behind the store, Vincent said. Shots were exchanged and both the man and the police dog were struck.

Gray was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

D’Jango, who has worked as a DeKalb police K-9 for about six years, was rushed to a Sandy Springs veterinarian for surgery. No other officers were injured in the incident, Vincent said.

RELATED: Injured DeKalb police dog honored as hero returns to duty

In cellphone video obtained by Channel 2 Action News, officers can be seen running for cover after shots rang out in a wooded area of the senior community.

The GBI was called in to investigate the incident. It is the 69th officer-involved shooting the agency has responded to this year, GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also tracks officer-involved shootings that don't involve the GBI, and those numbers sometimes differ from the GBI’s tally.

— Please return to AJC.com for updates