Memorial Grows For Slain San Jacinto Police Dog

SAN JACINTO (CBSLA.com) — Residents of San Jacinto are adding to a growing memorial outside the San Jacinto Police Department in honor of Sultan, a police dog slain Wednesday in Hemet.

"Four-legged, two-legged, they're all here for service for us," resident Debra Harvey said.

Many residents told CBS2's Adrianna Weingold they came to pay their respects.

Sultan began patrolling the streets in November 2013.

On Wednesday, he was sent into the crawl space of a Hemet home to help deputies apprehend a wanted felon.

Sultan was shot in the neck. His handler took him to a nearby veterinarian, where he died.

"My heart breaks for his partner, his owner," resident Tiffany Brooks said.

Police and the suspect got into a standoff around 2:30 p.m., and it lasted for nine hours.

When the suspect finally emerged, he was holding a handgun. Deputies shot and killed him.

Neighbor Tim Hambly is still shaken by the ordeal.

Hambly told Weingold he feared for his safety and the safety of his dog because the gunman was holed up next door to his home.

"Because it could have been mine, or me, I mean, yeah, and for the trainer of that dog, I can only imagine what he's going through, because it's two years; it's your partner," Hambly said.

A vigil for Sultan is planned for Saturday in Hemet, Weingold reported.

A more formal funeral is planned for the coming weeks.