ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A St. Johns County Sheriff's Office K-9 died early Tuesday morning and investigators believe a suspect they were searching for may have drowned him.
Deputies responded to a home on Twin Aspen Circle around 3:20 a.m. in reference to a disturbance.
The suspect, Brandon Allison, 26, fled before deputies arrived, according to SJCSO.
Deputies said Allison was also wanted on a felony arrest warrant from April for selling cocaine.
Deputy Farrah Ashe and her K-9, named Baron (pictured), were tracking Allison and came to a fence.
Ashe helped Baron over the fence, and he took off after Allison's scent. Ashe then climbed over the fence.
"The K-9's handlers can tell when the dog moves a certain way, if they make a certain sound, if they sit a certain way. There's things the dogs do that those handlers, through the 1,100 hours of training with that dog, they get to read the animal," said Cmdr. Chuck Mulligan with the SJCSO. "They know when they smell something. They know when they smell a suspect. They understand that. The info we had from Deputy Ashe is she heard the dog engage."
When Ashe arrived, she found Baron unresponsive in a body of water and the suspect gone.
Life-saving measures were given to Baron, who was then transported to a veterinary hospital where he died. Baron was a 2½-year-old tracking and apprehension K-9, who was acquired by the SJCSO in April 2013.
According to Mulligan, sometimes when dogs engage, they don't let go and Baron could have held on, even while in the water. Mulligan wants to hear from Allison exactly what happened out there, and if he was in fact the one who struggled with the dog.
"We don't have the other side of the story," Mulligan said. "There are some other indicators that lead us to believe that this could have been a murder of the dog. ... There are indicators in that site where the dog was located and some evidence was left behind at that site that we believe potentially belongs to the suspect."
Officers searched a wooded, swampy area off State Road 207 near Wildwood Drive for Allison. Deputies were seen taking two other K-9s out of a truck to help in the search, which had been going on for hours and included a helicopter.
The search was called off around 1 p.m., but officers continued to comb the area, went to Allison's last known address and investigated Allison's background for clues to where he might have gone.
Allison is described as a black male, 5 feet 9 inches tall and 160 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. He is a convicted drug dealer and has served two prison sentences.
He has previous arrests in St. Johns County for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, drug-dealing, grand theft auto, armed burglary, dealing in stolen property and obstructing police.
Residents in the Twin Lakes subdivision where the chase began said they were concerned that Allison is not yet in custody.
"There are so many places he could be hiding. That's the a scary thing, quite honestly," said Linda Masters. "When I got here, I loaded my gun and checked the house before we went in there."
Masters said her dog, Buddy, was whining and unusually anxious Tuesday morning, as if there was some activity behind her fence. She said she's heartbroken to hear Allison might have drowned Baron.
"I was seriously upset, especially when I learned a dog was killed," Masters said. "It's like killing another individual. They are trained to protect us, and someone had to harm it, I think, if they took it down and drown it."
Mulligan said if Baron was killed by Allison (pictured below), he will be facing third-degree felony charges.
"Our goal right now, however, is to find this suspect and determine everything he's done tonight from this disturbance all the way to the K-9's death," said Mulligan.
Deputies said the two women who live in the house where Allison was running from are cooperating with police.
Mulligan said it's a sad day for the department.
"These K-9s become a part of the Sheriff's Office's family, especially for the handlers. It's a loss, obviously the K-9s are there for the purpose we use them for. We're thankful a K-9 handler wasn't harmed but it's no less significant that a K-9 is deceased," said Mulligan.
Details about a funeral for Baron will be released soon. Mulligan said he will received a ceremonial send-off.
Mulligan said Ashe was distraught over Baron's death and will be given administrative leave, if she requests it.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to call 911.