by: Safia Samee Ali
A Virginia police dog was killed while protecting a corrections officer who was trying to break up a prison attack by MS-13 gang members, officials said Wednesday.
The K-9, named Rivan, was with its assigned correction officer, Kharmishia Phillip Fields, when three inmates affiliated with the MS-13 gang housed at Sussex I State Prison “viciously attacked” another inmate as a fourth inmate supervised, officials said.
Phillip Fields and Rivan responded to the attack Tuesday, and while trying to stop the violence, the dog was “violently and repeatedly stabbed and kicked by the inmates,” the department said.
Staff attempted lifesaving measures, but the dog succumbed to its injuries and died while “heroically protecting” the officer, officials said.
“The loss of Rivan is truly tragic, but it is important to remember he did not die in vain,” Chad Dotson, director of the Virginia Department of Corrections, said in a statement. “He lost his life while potentially saving the lives of two people, his assigned Officer and an inmate. The VADOC will never forget Rivan’s sacrifice.”
Phillip Fields, a trained K-9 handler and four-year veteran of the department, sustained no serious injuries due in part to Rivan’s defense.
The inmates involved in the attack are verified members of the MS-13 gang from El Salvador and Guatemala, officials said. The Department said that all four had entered the U.S. illegally at the time of their arrest and conviction.
The inmates were convicted on multiple charges, including first-degree homicide, attempted rape, kidnapping/abduction, malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and child pornography.
The department said it intends to pursue prosecution of these inmates to the fullest extent of the law.
Rivan was a Belgian Malinois who would have turned six on April 30. The dog joined the Virginia Department of Corrections in 2019 and came from a K-9 family. His father worked for a police department in Southwest Virginia, and his mother worked for the United States Secret Service, the department said.
“K-9s play a vital role at our facilities. They protect our correctional staff. They protect our inmates and also deter aggressive inmate behavior,” Dotson said. “The Virginia Department of Corrections never wants to lose one of its K-9s in the line of duty, but their important role in ensuring long-term public safety for the Commonwealth is undeniable.”
The department said it will be holding a memorial to honor the dog.
Rev Red