CARTERSVILLE, Ga. — Law enforcement is actively tracking down a man who, they said, shot a K-9 and is wanted on several warrants.
Bartow County Sheriff Clark Millsap said around 4:35 p.m. on Thursday, deputies saw a 2010 Honda Civic on Hwy 411 near the Interstate 75 interchange with Geoffry Frank Walker inside.
The 30-year-old is wanted out of Bartow County after a family violence incident happened on Wednesday at the Cartersville Walmart along Market Place Boulevard. Walker also has additional warrants for another family violence incident in Floyd County from earlier in the day.
“He was willing to shoot at an officer and an officer’s dog, who knows what he was really aiming at," said Kyle Briley with the Georgia Police K9 Foundation.
In a statement, officials said deputies began pursuing Walker, who crashed after they performed a PIT maneuver. Walker eventually hopped out and ran away. K-9 Athos was released to help track Walker down, the sheriff’s office said.
“Multiple shots were heard and K-9 Athos was found injured,” according to the sheriff.
The dog was taken to a nearby animal hospital for treatment and is expected to be OK. The Georgia Police K-9 Foundation said after emergency surgery, he is resting.
“They are our partners, right? So they ride with us while we’re at work, they’re out with us on the most dangerous situations, we’re training with them usually on a weekly basis and they just become basically a part of our life and so if they’re going to be willing to do that for us then his handler, obviously, is gonna take it upon himself to be there with him, since he was there with him during that incident," Briley said.
Several agencies were called to help find Walker. Law enforcement established a perimeter off I-75 and Highway 411. A car was also seen in the grass just outside the Valero gas station, a quarter of a mile from the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville. The hours-long manhunt lasted into the night and now enters its second day with no one in custody.
As of Friday morning, authorities are still searching for Walker.
He stands at 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs around 180 pounds, according to authorities. Walker is described as having short, spiked, gold-bleached hair and was last seen wearing gold or khaki pants, a white shirt and a black and grey jacket.
Deputies are asking anyone with information to call the sheriff’s office at 770-382-5050 or 911.